\1 2  5 


CONVERSION   OF  A   HIGH   PRIEST 
INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER 


CONVERSION  OF  A 
HIGH  PRIEST  INTO  A 
CHRISTIAN  WORKER 

Edited  and  Presented  by 
REV.     M.     GOLDEN 

SECOND  EDITION 


Jf^eto   porti 
1912 


Copyright  Office  of  the  United  States  of  America 
Library  of  Congress — Washington,  D.  C. 

In  conformity  with  section  55  of  the  Act  to  Amend  and  Con- 
solidate the  Acts  respecting  Copyright,  approved  March  4,  1909, 
said  book  has  been  duly  registered  to  the  name  of  Rev.  M.  Golden, 
of  Rutland,  Mass. 

Entry:  Class  A.  XXc,  No.  251121,  Oct.  29,  1909. 

Copyright,  1910,  by  Rev.  Meletios  Golden. 

Entry:  Class  A,  XXc,  No.  275323,  Nov.  10,  1910. 


THE  TROW  PRESS 
NEW  YORK 


Co 

My  own  loving  father,  who  did  sow  the  seed  of  a  brave  Chris- 
tianity in  my  young  heart,  while  only  eight  years  of  age,  calHng 
me  by  his  death-bed,  on  my  knees,  with  his  right  hand  resting 
upon  my  head,  in  his  last  words  to  me,  saying: 

"My  boy,  I  leave  you;  God  will  be  your  Father,  and  Jesus 
His  Son  your  Saviour;  keep  away  from  unholy  associates,  and 
heed  not  unlawful  advice,  but  work  for  righteousness  and  help 
those  that  are  in  need;  and  we  shall  meet  again."  And  his  spirit 
went  into  eternity;  to  which  destination  I  direct  all  my  efforts 
in  life. 

This  Book  is  dedicated  by  a  grateful  son, 

Rev.  Meletios  Golden 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  Farewell i7 

II.  Arrival 36 

III.  First  Day  in  New  York 49 

IV.  High  Priest 57 

V.  Philosophy  vs.  Christianity 66 

VI.  God's  Providence 76 

VII.  New  York  to  California 92 

VIII.  Honorable  Submission 104 

IX.  Practical  Effects  of  Practical  Truth     .       .114 

X.  Greek-American-Christian-Association     .       .  133 

XI.  Conclusion ^5^ 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Farmhouse Frontispiece 

Rev.  M.  Golden  in  Street  Attire  as  High  Priest    ...  36 

The  World's  Wonder,  Acropolis  of  Athens,  Greece.     .        .  52 

H.  R.  H.  Prince  Arthur,  Duke  of  Connaught  and  Strath- 
earn,  K.  G,,  etc 68 

Rev.  M.  Golden,  the  High  Priest  in  Church  Ceremonial 

Attire 84 

Rev.  M.  Golden,  Captain  of  the  Salvation  Army    .        .        .  100 

Rev.  M.  Golden,  the  founder  of  the  Greek-Amerikan-Chris- 

tian-Association 126 

Greek  Peasant  Woman 132 


Conversion  of  a  High  Priest  into  a 
Practical  Christian  Worker 


SECOND  EDITION 


Edited  and  'Presented  by 
Rev.  MELETIOS  GOLDEN 

Founder  of  the  Greek-Amerikan-Christian-Association. 

HIGH  PRIEST  OF  THE  GREEK  ORTHODOX  CHURCH. 

Grand  Representative  of  the  St.  Stephen's  Monastery, 
Mt.  Athos,  Turkey. 

Archimandrides  of  the  Virgin  Mary's  Monastery,  Salamis  and 
Athens,  Greece. 

Lieutenant,  Officer,  in  the  Royal  Gendarmery  of  Greece. 

Grand  Chaplain  and  Orator  of  the  Supreme  Council  of  the  A.  A. 
Scottish  Rite,  Greece. 

Captaiti  of  the  Salvation  Army,  U.  S.  A. 

Member  of  the  Massachusetts  Consistory  S.  P.  R.  S.,  Thirty-second 
Degree,  Boston,  Mass. 

Evangelist  to  the  Greeks  in  the  United  States,  etc.,  etc. 

New  York. 
1912. 


PREFACE 

In  placing  this  second  edition  in  the  hands  of  my 
readers  I  most  gratefully  acknowledge  the  splendid 
assistance  of  my  subscribers,  and  the  kindness  with 
which  this  book  has  been  received  by  the  General 
Public,  who  made  it  possible  for  me  to  accomplish 
my  intended  purpose,  ever  since  I  left  home,  that  I 
should  give,  to  the  general  public,  an  account  of  my 
conversion  into  a  practical  Christian  worker,  know- 
ing that  there  are  a  great  number  of  intelligent 
minds,  among  the  priests,  in  the  Greek-Russian  and 
Roman  Catholic  churches,  who  would  make  good 
soldiers  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  some  of  them  might  de- 
velop into  heroes  of  Truth  and  Righteousness,  if 
they  could  only  deny  themselves  of  the  luxuries  and 
lofty  life  attached  to  their  priesthood.  And  this  prob- 
lem of  selfishness  is  an  absolute  barrier  not  only  to 
their  own  Salvation,  but  to  many  a  soul,  who  might 
have  been  saved  from  sin,  and  be  converted  to  God, 
and  usefulness,  but  for  the  Priest. 

The  solution  of  the  problem  was  the  clue  which 
aided  me  to  escape  from  the  labyrinth  of  doubt;  and 
now,  standing  upon  the  rock  of  unshaken  faith,  I 
offer  the  clue  that  guided  me  to  others. 

A  work  of  this  kind  is  called  for  by  the  spirit  of 
the  age.    Although  the  signs  of  the  times  are  said  to 


xiv  PREFACE 

be  propitious,  yet  there  are  constant  developments  of 
undisciplined  and  unsanctified  minds  both  in  Europe 
and  America,  which  furnish  matter  of  regret  to  the 
philanthropist  and  the  Christian;  and  though  there 
are  great  controversies — going  on  at  present;  in 
relation  to  the  man's  spiritual  interests,  central  point 
of  all  this  heated  contest  has  been  the  "Cross  of 
Christ:"  yet  the  most  obnoxious  obstacle  in  the  way 
of  progress  as  to  the  realization  of  "God's  Kingdom 
on  earth"  it  is,  and  from  all  quarters  the  same  ex- 
clamation uttered,  the  priest. 

Men  and  women  entrusted  with  responsibilities  of 
raising  children  in  the  Christ-like  way,  for  the  future 
development  of  this  great  country,  will  find  valuable 
facts  in  this  volume,  which  I  have  endeavored  to 
write,  in  order  to  meet  the  exigencies  among,  not 
only  certain  people,  but  among  many  well-bred  and 
well-cultured  priests. 

In  criticising  this  work,  the  intelligent  reader  is 
respectfully  requested  to  take  into  account  the  pecu- 
liar circumstances  under  which  this  book  is  written. 

I  was  only  six  years  old — in  the  English  language 
— many  miles  away  from  any  literary  assistance,  and 
fifty  miles  from  the  Boston  Public  Library,  where  I 
could  derive  many  testimonies  and  opinions  of  un- 
disputable  authorities  to  strengthen  my  religious 
opinions  and  actions,  which  are  tested  in  the  most 
practical  way  by  all  conditions  and  under  all  circum- 
stances, from  the  ostentatious  pomp  of  a  high  priest 
to  a  loving,  lowly  worker  in  the  slums  of  Chicago. 

The  place,  where  this  book  is  written,  is  a   farm 


PREFACE 


XV 


situated  in  the  picturesque  county  of  Worcester,  and 
it  might  rightfully  have  attributed  to  the  effect  of  the 
inspiring  natural  surroundings  in  this  farm  that  I  was 
enabled  to  master  my  views  in  framing  them  accord- 
ing to  the  linguistic  requirements  of  the  American 
reader,  using  the  every  day  language  for  the  his- 
torical part  of  my  subject;  and  maintaining  the  more 
classical  expression  for  the  men  with  the  tendencies 
to  argue,  just  to  make  a  show  of  their  higher  knowl- 
edge, thus  trying  to  excuse  themselves  for  not  sub- 
mitting all  their  powers  to  the  Will  of  God. 

It  has  been  said,  all  misery  comes  to  the  human 
race  mainly  from  two  causes;  firstly,  through  mis- 
conduct: and  secondly,  through  misfortune:  there- 
fore; since  there  is  the  self-evident  truth,  in  the 
axiom,  that,  when  the  cause  is  diagnosed,  the  remedy 
is  near  at  hand,  let  us  work  unitedly  to  remove  the 
cause  of  all  misery,  be  it,  in  the  Greek  people,  or 
Jewish,  or  Gentiles,  and  by  the  light  of  the  Gospel's 
truth,  let  us  put  forth  all  our  efforts,  while  here  on 
earth,  in  establishing  happiness  and  good  will  to  all 
men. 

Rev.  Meletios  Golden. 

North  Rutland,  Mass.,  1910. 


CHAPTER  I 

Farewell 

IT  was  the  year  1903,  on  a  very  beautiful  day,  one 
of  those  April  days,  that  are  well  known  and  ap- 
preciated by  those  who  have  been  fortunate  enough 
to  travel  around  the  purple  bathed  Mediterranean 
coast,  that  his  royal  highness,  the  prince  of  Greece, 
Andreas,  went  abroad  to  meet  his  sweetheart,  who 
afterwards  became  his  wife  and  princess  of  Greece. 
It  was  a  confidential  royal  talk,  the  betrothal  of 
Prince  Andreas,  but  for  the  newspaper  man,  who 
learns  everything,  and  he  can  keep  a  confidential  talk 
as  much  as  Mrs.  Green  did  when  she  promised  to  her 
husband  to  keep  all  to  herself  that  confidential  talk 
they  had  one  night,  and  the  first  thing  in  the  morning 
speaking  to  Mrs.  Jones  over  the  fence  she  confiden- 
tially delivered  that  confidential  talk  and  in  the  same 
manner  all  over  fences  and  telephones,  wherever  they 
were  procurable,  to  save  the  time,  the  talk  went 
round  the  town  and  came  back  to  Mr.  Green's  ears, 
and  he  only  blamed  himself  for  being  the  fool  to  trust 
his  wife.  So,  when  Prince  Andreas,  came  down  to 
Piraeus,  the  seaport  of  Athens,  to  board  on  the  fash- 
ionable French  S.  S.  Messengerie-Maritime,  he  was 
surprised  by  the  throngs  of  people  that  gathered  at 
the  pier  to  greet  him  ''good  luck"  in  his  royal  love 
affairs,  because  the  Greeks  pay  more  attention  to  the 


i8       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

royal  love  affairs,  than  they  do  in  paying  their  roy- 
alties to  fatten  more  highness  and  highnesses  than 
any  other  Kingdom  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 

The  Kingdom  of  Greece,  little  more  than  two 
millions  of  people,  pay  to  King  George,  for  his  annual 
allowances  six  times  as  much  as  the  ninety  millions 
of  people  to  the  President  of  the  United  States.  And 
every  creature  of  royal  blood,  in  Greece,  draws  as 
high  an  allowance,  as  nearer  to  the  throne  his  or  her 
rights  happen  to  be.  Besides,  many  thousands  of 
acres  of  the  best  land  in  Greece,  is  granted  to  the 
members  of  the  royal  family;  thus  causing  the  im- 
mense emigration  of  all  these  Greeks,  whom  you 
meet  in  every  corner,  in  the  United  States,  trying  to 
make  an  honest  living,  by  shining  your  shoes,  or 
working  in  the  construction  of  railroads  in  America 
and  Mexico. 

The  Greek,  though  born  and  raised  among  the 
most  beautiful  vineyards  that  made  the  historical  and 
famous  Nectar  for  the  Gods,  yet  when  he  leaves  his 
home  to  go  abroad,  he  takes  his  last  glass  of  intoxi- 
cant, till  he  settles  himself,  in  a  new  adopted  mother- 
land, and  makes  a  comfortable  home  for  the  queen  of 
his  heart,  because  home  life  is  the  ideal  of  every 
Greek  and  he  is  a  model  as  head  of  the  family,  in  his 
moderate  means  trying  to  raise  children  to  his  gener- 
ation and  give  them  the  best  he  can  afford.  Hopeful, 
that  some  Socrates  or  Demosthenes  might  develop 
out  of  his  offspring.  The  Greek  has  never  been  identi- 
fied with  any  unlawful  or  criminal  movement  of  the 
so-called  Anarchistic  or  Socialistic.    The  Greek  at  all 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  19 

times  and  under  all  circumstances  is  an  example  as 
a  law-abiding  citizen. 

Greek  history  is  the  pride  of  all  the  civilized  world, 
and  in  the  opinion  of  a  most  distinguished  sociologist, 
the  United  States  is  the  Greece  of  this  age,  and  he 
thinks  that  it  is  the  irresistible  law  of  gravitation  and 
sympathy  that  the  tide  of  emigration  draws  the 
Greeks  from  the  ancient  Greece  into  this  new  and 
glorious  Greece.  And  the  writer  was  very  little 
surprised  when  told  that  Boston  is  the  Hub  of 
America,  or  in  the  language  of  the  Archaeologist,  the 
Athens  of  the  United  States,  and  there  and  then  he 
made  his  resolution  to  make  his  home  in  Boston, 
should  he  ever  find  the  way  clear  to  come  to  America. 
The  joyful  dream  of  his  life  has  become  reality,  and 
for  the  last  six  years  from  his  personal  observations 
traveling  a  little  more,  perhaps,  than  the  average 
American  traveler,  from  Atlantic  Ocean  to  Pacific 
Coast,  he  is  privileged  to  know  that  the  spirit  of  the 
Ancient  Greece  is  not  only  confined  in  the  Hub, 
but,  hospitality  and  the  love  of  art  and  beauty  pre- 
vails in  the  very  heart  of  every  true  American  man 
and  woman,  even  in  the  remotest  village  and  hamlet, 
and  he  has  yet  to  know  the  time  or  the  place  where 
he  did  not  feel  perfectly  at  home.  Therefore,  there 
is  no  regret  on  his  part  for  bidding  farewell  to  the 
land  of  the  Gods  and  the  city  which  had  been  the 
birthplace  of  taste,  of  art  and  beauty  and  eloquence. 
The  chosen  sanctuary  of  the  Muses.  The  prototype 
of  all  that  is  graceful  and  dignified  and  grand  in  senti- 
ment and  action. 


20      CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

History  and  philosophy,  oratory  and  the  elements 
of  mathematical  science  claim  as  their  birthplace  the 
city  of  Athens,  where,  Paul,  the  greatest  apostle  of 
Jesus  Christ,  uttered  his  immortal  oration  to  the 
Athenians,  on  the  Areopagus  (Mars  Hill).  And  he, 
dignified,  temperate,  high-minded  and  learned  in  all 
wisdom,  of  his  age,  Paul,  confessed  that  he  was  stand- 
ing in  the  midst  of  the  highest  civilization,  both  of  his 
own  age  and  of  the  ages  that  had  elapsed. 

Paul,  with  his  face  towards  the  north  having  imme- 
diately behind  him  the  long  walls  which  ran  down 
to  the  sea,  affording  protection  against  a  foreign 
enemy.  Near  the  sea  on  the  one  side  the  harbor  of 
Piraeus,  on  the  other  that  designated  Phalerum,  with 
crowded  arsenals,  their  busy  workmen  and  their  gal- 
lant ships.  Not  far  off  in  the  ocean  the  Island  of 
Salamis,  ennobled  forever  in  history  as  the  spot  near 
which  Athenian  valour  chastised  Asiatic  pride,  and 
achieved  the  liberty  of  Greece.  The  Apostle  turning 
towards  his  right  hand  to  catch  a  view  of  a  small  but 
celebrated  hill  rising  within  the  city  near  that  on 
which  he  stood,  called  the  Pnyx,  where  standing  on 
a  block  of  bare  stone,  Demosthenes  and  other  dis- 
tinguished orators  had  addressed  the  assembled 
people  of  Athens,  swaying  that  arrogant  and  fickle 
democracy,  and  thereby  making  Philip  of  Macedon 
tremble,  or  working  good  or  ill  for  the  entire  civilized 
world.  Immediately  before  him  looking  upon  the 
crowded  city,  studded  in  every  part  with  memorials 
sacred  to  religion  or  patriotism,  and  exhibiting  the 
highest  achievements  of  art.     On  his  left,  somewhat 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  21 

beyond  the  walls,  the  Academy,  with  its  groves  of 
plane  and  olive-trees,  its  retired  walks  and  cooling 
fountains,  its  altar  to  the  Muses,  its  statues  of  the 
Graces,  its  Temple  of  Minerva,  and  its  altars  to 
Prometheus,  to  Love,  and  Hercules,  near  which  Plato 
had  his  country  seat,  and  in  the  midst  of  which  he  had 
taught  as  well  his  followers  after  him.  But  the 
most  impressive  spectacle  laying  on  his  right  hand, 
that  small  and  precipitous  hill  "The  Acropolis"  where 
clustered  together  monuments  of  the  highest  art,  and 
memorials  of  the  national  religion,  such  as  no  other 
equal  spot  of  ground  has  ever  borne.  The  Apostle's 
eyes,  in  turning  to  the  right,  would  fall  on  the  north- 
west side  of  the  eminence,  which  was  here  and  all 
round,  covered  and  protected  by  a  wall,  parts  of  which 
were  so  ancient  as  to  be  of  Cyclopean  origin.  The 
western  side,  which  alone  gave  access  to  what,  from 
its  original  destination,  may  be  termed  the  fort,  was, 
during  the  administration  of  Pericles,  adorned  with 
a  splendid  flight  of  steps,  and  the  beautiful  Propylaea, 
with  its  five  entrances  and  two  flanking  temples,  con- 
structed by  Mnesicles  of  PenteHcan  marble  at  a  cost 
of  2012  talents,  which  is  the  equivalent  of  about  four 
millions  of  American  dollars.  In  the  time  of  the 
Roman  emperors  there  stood  before  the  Propylaea, 
equestrian  statues  of  Augustus  and  Agrippa.  On  the 
southern  wing  of  the  Propylaea  was  a  temple  to  the 
Wingless  Victory;  on  the  northern,  a  Pinacotheca,  or 
picture  gallery.  On  the  highest  part  of  the  platform 
of  the  Acropolis,  not  more  than  300  feet  from  the 
entrance-buildings    just    described,     stood    and    yet 


22       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

stands,  though  shattered  and  mutilated,  The  Parthe- 
non, justly  celebrated  throughout  the  world,  erected 
of  white  Pentelican  marble,  under  the  direction  of 
Callicrates,  Ictinus  and  Carpion  and  adorned  with 
the  finest  sculptures  from  the  hand  of  Phidias. 

Northward  from  the  Parthenon  was  the  Erech- 
theum,  a  compound  building  which  contained  the 
temple  of  Minerva  Polias;  the  proper  Erechtheum, 
called  also  the  Cecropium,  and  the  Pandroseum. 
This  sanctuary  contained  the  holy  olive  tree  sacred  to 
Minerva,  the  holy  salt-spring,  the  ancient  wooden 
image  of  Pallas,  etc.,  and  was  the  scene  of  the  oldest 
and  most  venerated  ceremonies  and  recollections  of 
the  Athenians.  Perhaps,  for  this  reason.  King  George 
of  Greece,  in  celebrating  his  25th  anniversary  on  the 
Throne,  he  gave  upon  this  rock  of  Acropolis,  that 
remarkable  banquet  to  all  crowned  visitors,  175  in 
number  from  every  royal  family  of  Europe.  At  this 
memorable  event,  the  writer  held  the  office  of  "man 
at  arms"  on  the  Acropolis,  although  he  was  the 
youngest  officer  in  the  Royal  Gendarmery  of  Greece, 
at  the  time. 

Between  the  Propylaea  and  the  Erechtheum  was 
placed  the  colossal  bronze  statue  of  Pallas-Proma- 
chos,  the  work  of  Phidias,  which  towered  so  high 
above  the  other  buildings,  that  the  plume  of  her  hel- 
met and  the  point  of  her  spear  were  visible  on  the  sea 
between  Sunium  and  Athens.  Moreover,  the  Acrop- 
olis was  occupied  by  so  great  a  crowd  of  statues  and 
monuments,  that  the  account,  as  found  in  Pausanias, 
excites  the  reader's  wonder,  and  makes  it  difficult  for 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  23 

him  to  understand  how  so  much  could  have  been 
crowded  into  a  space  which  extended  from  the  south- 
east only  1 1 50  feet,  whilst  its  greatest  breadth  did 
not  exceed  500  feet. 

On  the  hill  itself  where  Paul  stood,  was  the  temple 
of  Furies,  and  in  the  court  house  of  Areopagus,  there 
was  the  altar  to  Athene  Areia. 

In  all  historical  probability,  Paul,  stood  exactly 
on  this  place  when,  "to  the  unknown  God"  as  his  text, 
he  delivered  the  understanding  of  *'The  True  and 
Living  God,"  who  made  the  world  and  all  things 
therein,  and  he  made  of  one  blood  all  nations  of  men 
for  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the  earth. 

The  writer,  consequently,  in  bidding  farewell  to 
his  beloved  Athens,  he  knew  that  he  was  going  as 
a  brother  among  members  of  the  same  family  of 
humanity  in  a  land  where  man  is  free  to  worship  God, 
not  in  hypocrisy  and  deceit,  but  in  Spirit  and  in  truth. 

On  the  same  beautiful  April  day  that  Prince  An- 
dreas was  going  abroad,  the  writer  went  aboard 
on  the  same  S.  S.  Messengerie-Maritime,  unaware  of 
H.  R.  H.'s  presence  there,  notified  only  at  the  last 
moment  by  the  agent  of  the  company,  Mr.  Chris- 
topher of  Piraeus,  who  was  on  board  himself  going  to 
Italy  on  a  business  trip.  Mr.  Christopher,  by  being  a 
member  of  the  same  fellowcraft  in  which  the  writer 
was  the  Grand  Chaplain,  he  took  pains  to  secure  a 
very  comfortable  stateroom  for  his  brother  Chaplain. 

Now  I  was  following  Mr.  Christopher  and  an 
officer  of  the  S.  S.  to  locate  myself  in  the  suite  pro- 
vided for  me,  and  as  we  were  obliged  to  pass  through 


24      CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

the  reception  hall  there  I  found  myself  face  to  face 
with  the  King  George,  and  the  following  dialogue 
occurs. 

King — Where  are  you  going,  Father? 

I — On  a  recreation  trip.  Your  Majesty.  (I  should 
have  said,  on  a  reformation  trip.) 

King — I  hope  you  will  have  a  bon  voyage. 

I — Your  Majesty's  wish,  God  grant  it  to  be  so, 
and  I  pray  that  His  Favour  shall  crown  with  joy,  all 
the  desires  of  H.  R.  H.'s,  the  Prince,  in  his  journey. 

King — With  your  prayers.  Father,  I  believe  H.  R. 
H.  will  be  well  successful. 

And  with  one  of  his  well  known  diplomatic  smiles 
that  contain  manifold  meanings ;  King  George,  bid  us 
farewell,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  big  whistle  blew 
and  a  gentle  vibration  of  the  boat  gave  the  notice  that 
we  were  on  the  move.  I  went  into  my  cabin  and 
looking  through  the  hole  that  was  doing  duty  of  a 
round  window,  I  beheld  the  monument  of  Themis- 
tocles  passing  slowly,  and  when  I  could  see  that  no 
more,  I  felt  something  melting  in  my  heart  and  over- 
flowingly  coming  up  into  my  eyes  in  the  shape  of 
two  drops  of  burning  water.  I  took  them  on  the 
tips  of  my  fingers  and  after  kissing  them  with  all  the 
tenderness  of  a  loving  heart,  I  sprinkled  them  into 
the  apeiron,  farewell  to  my  loved  ones  left  behind 
me,  while  the  big  S.  S.  in  full  steam  was  now  carry- 
ing me  faster  and  faster  into  the  unknown  and  un- 
certain. 

I  did  not  leave  my  cabin  and  there  took  my  meals 
for  two  reasons;  first,  H.  R.  H.  expressed  the  wish 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  25 

to  take  his  meals  at  the  regular  first-class  dining 
table,  with  all  the  mortals  therein,  and  I  had  little 
desire  to  meet  him  anyway;  and  second  because 
I  wanted  to  be  alone  to  indulge  undisturbed  in  my 
thoughts  and  study  them  and  keep  notes  of  them  for 
my  future  use. 

The  history  tells  us  that  it  took  thirty  years  for 
the  greatest  philosopher  that  was  ever  born  to  give 
his  definite  opinion  as  to  the  immortality  of  the  soul. 
And  if  a  philosopher  like  Socrates,  after  thirty  years 
of  constant  study,  he  knew  one  thing,  that  he  knew 
nothing,  it  is  absurd  to  dare  say  that  we  shall  ever 
know  more  than  Socrates  did,  and  in  regard  to  the 
most  perplexed  problem  of  the  human  soul  we  can 
only  rejoice  in  the  fact  that  we  are  placed  in  a  more 
advanced  position  above  Socrates,  that  we  can  look 
upon  these  problems  with  more  light,  and  that  is  the 
light  that  comes  from  Galilee. 

Alone  as  I  was  in  my  cabin  I  thought  of  Socrates, 
I  thought  of  Confucius,  of  Buddha,  and  in  fact  I 
thought  of  the  many  ancient  and  modern  leaders  of 
great  movements,  and  of  new  thoughts,  my  admira- 
tion is  insistent  to  everything  that  is  noble  and  pure 
in  sentiment  and  praxis,  but  there  is  only  one  leader, 
whom  my  spirit  admires  the  best  and  I  worship  him 
with  love  and  devotion,  the  man  who  gave  his  life  for 
me.  I  knew  I  was  free  through  his  death  and  I  was 
happy.  The  Hierarchical  church  was  opposing  me 
unreasonably;  my  own  dearest  and  nearest  relatives 
did  not  understand  me,  their  strongest  argument 
being,  how  could  I  sacrifice  such  a  high  office  and 


26       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

deny  a  promising  greater  future  and  still  be  in  my 
right  mind? 

Not  being  satisfied  in  my  own  heart,  much  less 
convinced  in  my  mind,  I  made  a  pilgrimage  to  Jeru- 
salem, in  order  to  find  out  whether  Jesus  was  the  only 
Saviour  of  mankind  without  the  necessity  of  a  priest. 
It  was  then  and  there,  while  kneeling  on  my  knees 
upon  that  rock  of  Golgotha  that  came  to  me  with 
startling  force  and  clearness  that  I  must  be  a  follower 
of  Jesus  Christ  and  not  a  representative.  All  men 
may  live  on  the  Christ-like  way  and  be  happy,  but 
the  man  who  dares  personify  himself  with  the  authori- 
ties belonging  only  to  Jesus,  that  man  must  be  a 
faker;  "Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that  a 
man  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends"  and  I  knew 
Jesus  was  my  friend,  the  only  friend  left  to  me,  while 
every  other  friend  had  forsaken  me.  In  that  little 
cabin  I  felt  his  companionship,  and  looking  at  the 
clock  on  the  dresser  I  beheld  in  the  mirror  a  pleasant 
face  smiling  at  me.  The  hour  was  nearly  midnight 
and  I  retired,  singing  "He  promised  never  to  leave 
me  alone." 

The  voyage  from  Piraeus  to  Naples  is  said  to  be 
the  best  and  grandest  in  Mediterranean,  and  in  com- 
pany of  a  royal  fellow  traveller  might  have  been 
interesting  even  to  the  most  eccentric  Yankee,  but  to 
me  it  was  a  monotonous  event,  and  the  second  even- 
ing while  I  was  walking  for  some  exercise  on  the 
deck,  H.  R.  H.  came  up  to  me  graciously  expressing 
his  regrets  for  not  seeing  me  at  the  table,  and  inquir- 
ing if  I  was  not  feeling  well,  but  he  soon  noticed  my 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  27 

laconical  way  in  excusing  my  absence,  and  he  with- 
drew, leaving  me  alone  in  my  admiration  of  a  grand 
view  on  a  moonlighted  nature  in  the  Mediterranean. 
And  the  only  thought  occupying  my  mind  was;  how 
soon  could  I  get  to  America?  For  this  reason  per- 
haps, I  decided  to  take  steamship  for  New  York  at 
Naples,  Italy,  instead  of  going  to  Marseilles,  chief 
seaport  of  France  on  the  Mediterranean,  thus  for- 
feiting my  rights  on  S.  S.  Messengerie-Maritime,  that 
had  been  paid  from  Piraeus  to  Marseilles. 

Happily,  Mr.  Christopher  was  also  representing 
the  S.  S.  Co.,  of  Fabre  Line,  and  the  S.  S.  Germania 
of  the  same  company  was  scheduled  to  depart  from 
the  harbor  of  Naples  in  a  few  days.  It  certainly  was 
a  pleasure  and  an  opportunity  of  which  we  took 
advantage  to  visit  the  most  interesting  places  in  and 
around  Naples,  the  city  of  far  famous  and  at  the 
same  time  notorious,  for  there  the  stranger  notices, 
in  every  step,  the  beauty  of  Italian  art  and  the  Nea- 
politan filth  combined  in  the  most  peculiar  texture. 

Making  good  use  of  the  little  time  which  we  had 
at  our  disposal,  we  took  the  train  and  went  up  to  see 
the  City  in  which  the  Pope  entombed  himself  a  living 
mummy  rather  than  to  co-operate  with  the  civilized 
world  in  building  God's  Kingdom  on  earth. 

In  looking  over  my  memorandums  I  have  just  dis- 
covered a  description  that  I  kept  about  the  Eternal 
City.  The  historical  facts  therein  are  supported  by 
undisputable  authority.  And  I  think  it  apropos  bene- 
ficial to  my  readers,  if  it  will  be  placed  at  their  liands 
before  the  closing  of  this  chapter. 


28      CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

On  the  river  Tiber,  about  fifteen  miles   from  its 
mouth  in  the  plain  of  what  is  now  called  the  Cam- 
pagna,   stands   the    famous    capital   of   the   Western 
World,  and  the  present  residence  of  the  Pope,  the 
City  of  Rome.     The  surrounding  country  is  not  a 
plain,  but  a  sort  of  undulating  table-land,  crossed  by 
hills,   while  it   sinks   towards   the   southwest  to   the 
marshes   of   Maremma,   which   coast  the   Mediterra- 
nean.   In  ancient  geography  the  country,  in  the  midst 
of  which  Rome  lay,  was  termed  Latium,  which,  in  the 
earliest   times,    comprised   within   a   space   of   about 
four  geographical  square  miles  the  country  lying  be- 
tween the  Tiber  and  the  Numisius,  extending  from 
the  Alban  Hills  to  the  sea,  having  for  its  chief  city 
Laurentum.     Here,   on   the    Palatine   Hill,   was   the 
city  of  Rome  founded  by  Romulus  and  Remus,  grand- 
sons of  Numitor,  and  sons  of  Rhea  Sylvia,  to  whom, 
as  the  originators  of  the  city,  mythology  ascribed  a 
divine  parentage.     The  origin  of  the  term  Rome  is 
in  dispute.     Some  derive  it  from  the  Greek  Romee, 
"strength,"  considering  that  this  name  was  given  to 
the  place  as  been  a  fortress.     Cicero  says  the  name 
was  taken  from  that  of  its  founder  Romulus.    At  first 
the  city  had  three  gates,  according  to  a  secret  usage. 
Founded  on  the  Palatine  Hill,  it  extended,  by  de- 
grees, so  as  to  take  in  six  other  hills  at  the  foot  of 
which  ran  deep  valleys  that  in  early  times  were  in 
part  overflowed  with  water,  while  the  hill-sides  were 
covered  with  trees.    In  the  course  of  the  many  years 
during  which  Rome  was  acquiring  to  herself  the  em- 
pire of  the  world,  the  city  underwent  great,  numerous, 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  29 

and  important  changes.  Under  its  first  kings  it  must 
have  presented  a  very  different  aspect  from  what  it 
did  after  it  had  been  beautified  by  Tarquin.  The  de- 
struction of  the  city  by  the  Gauls  caused  a  thorough 
alteration  in  it:  nor  could  the  troubled  times  which 
ensued  have  been  favourable  to  its  being  well  re- 
stored. It  was  not  till  riches  and  artistic  skill  came 
into  the  city  on  the  conquest  of  Philip  of  Macedon, 
and  Antiochus  of  Syria,  that  there  arose  in  Rome 
large  handsome  stone  houses.  The  capture  of  Cor- 
inth conduced  much  to  the  adorning  of  the  city: 
many  fine  specimens  of  art  being  transferred  from 
thence  to  the  abode  of  the  conquerors.  And  so,  as 
the  power  of  Rome  extended  over  the  world,  and  her 
chief  citizens  went  into  the  colonies  to  enrich  them- 
selves, did  the  masterpieces  of  Grecian  art  flow  to- 
wards the  capital,  together  with  some  of  the  taste 
and  skill  to  which  they  owed  their  birth.  Augustus, 
however,  it  was,  who  did  most  for  embellishing  the 
capital  of  the  world,  though  there  may  be  some  sac- 
rifice of  truth  in  the  pointed  saying,  that  he  found 
Rome  built  of  brick,  and  left  it  marble.  Subsequent 
emperors  followed  his  example,  till  the  place  became 
the  greatest  repository  of  architectural,  pictorial,  and 
sculptural  skill,  that  the  world  has  ever  seen:  a  re- 
sult to  which  even  Nero's  incendiarism  indirectly 
conduced,  as  affording  an  occasion  for  the  city's  be- 
ing rebuilt  under  the  higher  scientific  influences  of 
the  times.  The  site  occupied  by  modern  Rome  is  not 
precisely  the  same  as  that  which  was  at  any  period 
covered  by  the  ancient  city:  the  change  of  locality 


30      CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

being  towards  the  north-west,  the  city  has  partially 
retired  from  the  celebrated  hills.  About  two-thirds  of 
the  area  within  the  walls,  traced  by  Aurelian,  are 
now  desolate,  consisting  of  ruins,  gardens,  and  fields, 
with  some  churches,  convents,  and  other  scattered 
habitations.  Originally  the  city  was  a  square  mile 
in  area.  In  the  time  of  Pliny  the  walls  were 
nearly  twenty  miles  in  circuit:  now  they  are  from 
fourteen  to  fifteen  miles  round.  Its  original  gates, 
three  in  number,  had  increased  in  the  time  of  the 
elder  Pliny  to  thirty-seven.  Modern  Rome  has  six- 
teen gates,  some  of  which  are,  however,  built  up. 
Thirty-one  great  roads  centered  in  Rome,  which, 
issuing  from  the  Forum,  traversed  Italy,  ran  through 
the  provinces,  and  were  terminated  only  by  the  boun- 
dary of  the  empire.  As  a  starting  point  a  gilt  pillar 
(MilHarium  Aureum)  was  set  up  by  Augustus  in  the 
middle  of  the  Forum.  This  curious  monument,  from 
which  distances  were  reckoned,  was  discovered  in 
1823.  Eight  principal  bridges  led  over  the  Tiber:  of 
these  three  are  still  relics.  The  four  districts  into 
which  Rome  was  divided  in  early  times,  Augustus  in- 
creased to  fourteen.  Large  open  spaces  were  set 
apart  in  the  city,  called  Campi,  for  assemblies  of  the 
people  and  martial  exercises,  as  well  as  for  games. 
Of  nineteen  which  are  mentioned,  the  Campus  Mar- 
tius  was  the  principal.  It  was  near  the  Tiber,  whence 
it  was  called  Tiberinus.  The  epithet  Martius  was  de- 
rived from  the  plain  being  consecrated  to  Mars,  the 
god  of  war.  In  the  later  ages  it  was  surrounded  by 
several    magnificent    structures,    and    porticoes    were 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  31 

erected,  under  which,  in  bad  weather,  the  citizens 
could  go  through  their  usual  exercises.  It  was  also 
adorned  with  statues  and  arches.  The  name  of 
Fora  was  given  to  places  where  the  people  assembled 
for  the  transaction  of  business.  The  Fora  were  of 
two  kinds — fora  venalia,  "markets,"  and  fora  civilia, 
"law  courts,  etc." 

Until  the  time  of  Julius  Caesar  there  was  but  one 
of  the  latter  kind,  termed  by  way  of  distinction  Forum 
Romanum,  or  simply  Forum.  It  lay  between  the 
Capitoline  and  Palatine  Hills:  it  was  eight  hundred 
feet  wide,  and  adorned  on  all  sides  with  porticoes, 
shops,  and  other  edifices,  on  the  erection  of  which 
large  sums  had  been  expended,  and  the  appearance  of 
which  was  very  imposing,  especially  as  it  was  much 
enhanced  by  numerous  statues.  In  the  centre  of  the 
Forum  was  the  plain  called  the  Curtian  Lake,  where 
Curtius  is  said  to  have  cast  himself  into  a  chasm  or 
gulf,  which  closed  on  him,  and  so  he  saved  his  coun- 
try. On  one  side  were  the  elevated  seats  or  sug- 
gestus,  a  sort  of  pulpits  from  which  magistrates  and 
orators  addressed  the  people,  usually  called  Rostra, 
because  adorned  with  the  beaks  of  ships  which  had 
been  taken  in  a  sea-fight  from  the  inhabitants  of  An- 
tium. 

Near  by  was  the  part  of  the  Forum  called  the  Comi- 
tium,  where  were  held  the  assemblies  of  the  people 
called  Comitia  Curiata.  The  celebrated  temple,  bear- 
ing the  name  of  Capitol,  of  which  there  remain  only 
a  few  vestiges,  stood  on  the  Capitoline  Hill,  the  high- 
est of  the  seven:  it  was  square  in  form,  each  side 


32      CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

extending  about  two  hundred  feet,  and  the  ascent  to 
it  was  by  a  flight  of  one  hundred  steps.  It  was  one  of 
the  oldest,  largest,  and  grandest  edifices  in  the  city. 
Founded  by  Tarquinius  Priscus,  it  was  at  several 
times  enlarged  and  embellished.  Its  gates  were  of 
brass,  and  it  was  adorned  with  costly  gildings: 
whence  it  is  termed  "golden"  and  "glittering,"  aurea, 
fulgens.  It  enclosed  three  structures,  the  temple  of 
Jupiter  Capitolinus  in  the  centre,  the  temple  of  Mi- 
nerva on  the  right,  and  the  temple  of  Juno  on  the  left. 
The  Capitol  also  included  some  minor  temples  or 
chapels,  and  the  Casa  Romuly,  or  Romulus,  cov- 
ered with  straw.  Near  the  ascent  to  the  Capitol  was 
the  asylum  (Cities  of  refuge).  We  also  mention  the 
Basilicae,  since  some  of  them  were  afterwards  turned 
to  the  purposes  of  Christian  worship.  They  were 
originally  buildings  of  great  splendour,  being  appro- 
priated to  meetings  of  the  senate,  and  to  judicial 
purposes.  Here  counsellors  received  their  clients, 
and  bankers  transacted  their  business.  The  earliest 
churches,  bearing  the  name  of  Basilicae,  were  erected 
under  Constantine  the  Great.  He  gave  his  own 
palace  on  the  CaeHan  Hill  as  a  site  for  a  Christian 
temple.  Next  in  antiquity  was  the  church  of  St. 
Peter,  on  the  Vatican  Hill,  built  a.d.  324,  on  the  site 
and  with  the  ruins  of  temples  consecrated  to  Apollo 
and  Mars.  It  stood  about  twelve  centuries,  at  the 
end  of  which  it  was  superseded  by  the  modem  church 
bearing  the  same  name. 

The  Cirei  were  buildings  oblong  in  shape,  used  for 
public  games,  races,  and  beast-fights.     The  Theatra 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  33 

were  edifices  designed  for  dramatic  exhibitions:  the 
Amphitheatra  (double  theatres,  buildings  in  an  oval 
form)  served  for  gladiatorial  shows  and  the  fighting 
of  wild  animals.  That  which  was  erected  by  the  Em- 
peror Titus,  and  of  which  there  still  exists  a  splen- 
did ruin,  was  called  the  Coliseum,  from  a  colossal 
statue  of  Nero  that  stood  near  it.  With  an  excess 
of  luxury,  perfumed  liquids  were  conveyed  in  secret 
tubes  round  these  immense  structures,  and  diffused 
over  the  spectators,  sometimes  from  the  statues  which 
adorned  the  interior.  In  the  arena  which  formed  the 
centre  of  the  amphitheatres,  the  early  Christians  often 
endured  martyrdom  by  being  exposed  to  ravenous 
beasts. 

In  modern  Rome  there  are  various  things  to  excite 
the  curiosity  of  the  stranger,  but  in  my  observations 
I  could  only  see  four  elem.ents  predominating  above 
everything,  monks,  nuns,  priests  and  beggars.  They 
form  a  continued  procession  all  day  long  of  the  most 
spectacular  carnival  that  could  be  seen  in  any  of  the 
Babylons  of  the  world. 

And  now  while  in  Rome,  we  might  ask  the  ques- 
tion: Who  founded  the  church  at  Rome?  The  ques- 
tion is  equally  interesting,  if  not  important  to  the 
Protestant  and  to  Catholic.  The  Romish  church 
assigns  the  honour  to  Peter,  and  on  this  grounds  an 
argument  in  favour  of  the  claims  of  the  Papacy.  But 
strict  search  in  and  about  all  the  obtainable  sources 
of  knowledge,  it  does  give  no  sufficient  reason  for 
believing  that  Peter  was  ever  even  so  much  as  within 
the  walls  of  Rome.    Thus,  by  all  inspired  documents 


34      CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

there  is  one  title  clear  left  to  Pope  and  his  scheme, 
''unaccountable  falsifier."  As  an  ordained  High  Priest 
in  the  Greek  Orthodox  Church,  I  have  been  for  many 
years  studied  in  this  particular  subject.  The  Libraries 
in  Mount  Athos  gave  me  all  the  opportunities  that 
the  high  and  exalted  position,  which  I  held,  could 
afford,  to  find  the  truth  concerning  the  claims  of 
the  Pope.  The  Fathers  of  the  Church,  Basil  the 
Great,  Gregory  the  Theologian,  John  Chrysostomus, 
and  all  the  host  of  Ecclesiastical  authorities  agree 
unanimously  that  the  Lord  Jesus  never  intended  to 
concede  any  right  of  supremacy,  to  Peter,  over  the 
other  apostles.  Otherwise  He  (Jesus)  would  never 
have  said  those  wonderful  words  (Matt.  20,  25,  etc.), 
and  Peter  himself  disclaiming  the  assertions  of  the 
Papacy  (Pet.  i,  5,  3,  etc.).  And  it  is  certain  that  there 
is  no  instance  on  record  of  the  apostle's  (Peter)  hav- 
ing ever  claimed  or  exercised  this  supposed  power, 
but  on  the  contrary,  he  is  oftener  than  once  repre- 
sented as  submitting  to  an  exercise  of  power  upon 
the  part  of  others,  as  when,  for  instance,  he  went 
forth  as  a  messenger  from  the  apostles  assembled  in 
Jerusalem  to  the  Christians  in  Samaria,  and  when 
he  received  a  rebuke  from  Paul.  Now  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  if  Peter  was  ever  Great,  that  was,  when  he  re- 
pented for  denying  his  Master.  Repentance,  there- 
fore, is  the  only  hope  left  for  the  Pope,  if  he  ever 
expects  to  hear  the  blessed  voice  "Feed  my  sheep." 

In  these  days  of  enlightenment  and  progress,  while 
humane  feelings  are  taking  the  place  of  spite  and 
hatred    among    the    civilized    nations,    and    religious 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  35 

prejudice  is  giving  way  to  good  will  and  tolerance, 
Rome  is,  from  the  Vatican  point  of  view,  the  stum- 
bling-block of  every  honest  effort  in  the  purification 
of  the  individual  heart  and  the  uplifting  of  the  millions 
of  souls  that  are  downtrodden  under  the  sandals  of 
hyenical  monks.  When  the  Pope,  a  few  months  ago, 
rejected  Mr.  Roosevelt  and  Mr.  Fairbanks,  two  mod- 
els of  manhood  and  virtue,  he  made  it  clear  to  the 
world  that  he  is  suffering  incurably,  from  barbaritis, 
and  that  his  case  is  hopeless.  But,  it  is  to  be  hoped 
that  as  Rome  is  already  regenerated  politically  and 
socially,  so,  we  pray  that  in  not  far  distant  day, 
Rome,  shall  also  be  regenerated  spiritually. 

In  the  meantime  we  shall  continue  our  journey,  and 
now  we  hurry  back  to  take  the  S.  S.  Germania  from 
Naples  to  New  York.  And  when  I  was  well  located 
on  board,  I  kissed  good-bye  to  my  friend  and  brother 
Christopher,  thanking  him  for  his  assistance  and 
bidding  to  the  old  world  FAREWELL!  FARE- 
WELL! 


CHAPTER  II 

Arrival 

SUNDAY  morning  the  i6th  of  May,  1903,  the 
very  handsome  S.  S.  Germania,  cast  anchor  in 
the  docks  of  Brooklyn.  Indeed,  there  is  no  particular 
significance  in  a  steamship  arriving  in  the  harbor  of 
Brooklyn  and  New  York,  for  they  come  by  hundreds 
from  all  parts  of  the  world,  every  day  in  the  week  and 
many  of  them  every  Sunday  of  the  year.  It  is  for 
the  diligent  observer  that  there  are  more  lessons  to 
be  drawn  from  a  day  passed  along  the  Brooklyn 
bridge  than  there  are  in  the  most  exclusive  circles  of 
the  400.  And  if  I  am  allowed  to  make  any  com- 
parison at  all  I  should  put  it  in  the  following  short 
sentences.  The  former  lessons  would  be  of  a  heart 
from  which  all  arteries  transport  the  necessary  ele- 
ments to  keep  up  undiminished  the  vitality  of  this 
great  cosmopolitan  body,  while  the  latter  uncon- 
trovertibly  is  only  a  part  of  the  body,  and  unfortu- 
nately it  is  the  stomach  that  consumes  lavishly  even 
to  the  core  all  that  the  whole  body  can  produce.  Yet 
to  an  every  day  passer-by  neither  when  he  travels 
across  the  Brooklyn  bridge  rubbing  elbows  with  the 
scores  of  the  masses  of  humanity  that  hasten  their 
way  unconsiderate  by  nobody,  nor  when  in  his  big 
red  or  yellow  automobile  hurrying  up  Fifth  Avenue 


Rl.\.    M.    (  lOl.l'KN 

In  llis  Street  Attire  as  High  Priest 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  37 

he  is  planning  in  his  mind  a  new  scheme  how  to  make 
more  money,  or  he  is  the  heir  of  riches  untold  and 
many  millions  are  waiting  for  him  to  be  scattered  in 
all  winds,  his  social  standard  to  keep  up  and  his 
neighbor's  honor  to  bring  down  and  as  a  rule  to 
accomplish  his  own  destruction,  the  time  is  of  no 
value  unless  there  is  some  profit  in  it  for  the  only 
scope  in  his  life  is  self  gratification. 

The  S.  S.  Germania  in  splendor  and  commodities 
could  proudly  be  called  the  Mauretania  or  Lucetania 
of  the  Fabre  Line,  a  very  commendable  company 
judging  from  the  good  officials  and  desirable  attend- 
ants we  had  on  board  the  Germania.  Her  arrival  at 
the  present  voyage  had  exceptional  significance,  and 
if  every  S.  S.  which  arrives  this  side  of  the  ocean  had 
parallel  instances  it  would  be  only  a  matter  of  time 
when  all  the  legislators  which  are  engaged  in  making 
the  emigration  laws  would  find  themselves  out  of 
business,  because  the  Kingdom  of  God  that  knows  no 
divisions  and  no  distinctions  of  nations  and  races 
should  soon  be  established  to  make  a  heaven  on  earth 
and  there  it  would  be  one  Lord — one  faith — one 
baptism  for  all  human  races,  and  all  men  could  then 
move  in  the  different  parts  of  the  world  without  any 
credentials  aiid  they  could  be  welcome  every^vhere  as 
members  of  the  same  family  do  when  they  live  within 
the  boundaries  of  love. 

Since  the  invention  of  Logos  in  the  art  of  making 
history,  worth  reading,  through  the  ages  the  historian 
derives  his  intelligence  from  all  sources  apt  to  con- 
tribute   to    his    object    and    unsparingly    he    treats 


38       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

zoology,  botany  and  all  kingdoms  ending  in  some 
kind  of  y,  just  to  serve  his  purpose  successfully.  And 
the  writers  of  the  Scriptures  are  not  exempted  to  this 
rule,  inspired  as  it  were,  they  mentioned  almost  every 
known  and  unknown  animal  which  our  forefather 
Noah  saved  in  his  Ark,  and  if  the  ass  plays  so  an 
important  part  in  the  Book  of  books,  Germania  surely 
is  entitled  to  some  consideration  in  the  history  of  my 
conversion. 

It  will  be  impossible  for  me  to  even  attempt  to 
skiagraph  all  that  took  place  on  board  the  Germania 
from  the  time  we  left  Naples  of  sunny  Italy  till  we 
arrived  in  the  docks  of  Brooklyn,  eleven  and  one-half 
days'  voyage  with  only  a  short  stop  at  Gibraltar,  that 
fortified  rock  for  which  Great  Britain  is  ready  to  play 
all  her  power  just  to  maintain  that  dry  and  ungrace- 
ful rock,  but,  the  key  of  two  seas,  and  in  Azores 
Islands  to  exchange  mail,  our  journey  was  a  never  to 
be  forgotten  continual  holiday. 

One  odd  incident  that  kept  our  merriment  all 
these  days,  was  the  symptomatical  number  thirteen. 
The  S.  S.  Germania  was  carrying  on  board  several 
hundred  emigrants,  mostly  from  sunny  Italy,  they 
were  representing  all  conditions  and  descriptions 
coming  to  America  to  make  their  fortune,  which  but 
a  few  exceptions  is  a  sweet  hope  into  every  emi- 
grant's heart  and  though  often  proves  to  them  that 
it  was  only  a  dream,  and  there  are  millions  of  emi- 
grants all  over  this  land  who  after  many  years  of 
hard  work  they  are  still  struggling  for  a  mere  exist- 
ence, yet  they  come  and  they  shall  continue  to  come 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  39 

for  it  is  the  rule  of  the  universe;  they  simply  cannot 
resist  the  law  that  governs  and  moves  the  Sympan. 
And  the  S.  S.  Germania  was  well  occupied  in  its 
various  compartments,  but  there  were  only  ten  of  us 
voyagers  in  the  reserved  first  cabins,  and  at  meal 
time  with  the  first  Captain  at  the  head  of  the  table 
and  one  Commissioner  representing  the  Government 
and  the  first  physician  of  the  boat  then  we  made  up 
the  number  13;  and  though  I  am  not  a  superstitious 
person  I  was  the  first  one  to  call  the  attention  to 
that  fact,  and  there  the  fun  began.  The  fellow  voy- 
agers insisting  that  should  any  danger  of  tempestuous 
and  stormy  gale  threaten  their  safety  they  had  to 
cast  lots  to  know  for  whose  cause  the  evil  came,  and 
as  I  was  the  only  representative  of  the  religious  senti- 
ment, in  all  probability  I  had  to  undergo  the  same 
experience  as  Jonah  had,  yet  our  fears  did  not  even 
approach  any  realization  but  instead  as  it  was  desir- 
able to  all  on  board  we  enjoyed  a  very  pleasant  voy- 
age all  the  way  and  the  Captain  himself  unreservedly 
with  his  boyish  cheerfulness  expressed  his  gratifi- 
cation for  all  that  came  out  so  perfectly  satisfactory. 
And  the  Captain  being  desirous  to  commemorate  the 
agreeable  event  he  gave  the  night  before  our  arrival 
at  Brooklyn  a  unique  banquet  in  the  big  reception 
hall  with  various  symbolical  decorations  in  honor 
to  his  excellency  the  number  13.  And  to  make  the 
event  more  memorable  the  Captain  himself  went 
around  the  boat  visiting  all  the  emigrants  and  select- 
ing 13  of  the  most  musical  Itahan  boys  and  girls  with 
their   harps,   mandolins    and   tambourines,    a   perfect 


40       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

stringed  band,  and  while  our  merriment  was  in  its 
zenith  he  conducted  them  on  the  upper  deck  where  the 
reception  hall  was  located  into  the  adjoining  room 
and  without  warning  we  began  to  hear  the  waves 
vibrating  through  the  walls  into  our  hall  and  soon 
our  ears  were  filled  with  divine  melodies.  They  were 
playing  Tosca,  Puccini's  most  inspired  composition 
and  the  translation  of  these  people  behind  the  walls 
it  really  contained  that  pathos  which  all  artists  agree, 
yet  unable  to  explain  how  so  many  children  of  sunny 
Italy  became  world-wide  famous  for  the  embodiment 
of  that  musical  and  harmonious  pathos  of  which 
Tosca  is  the  favorite  piece  of  the  greatest  living  tenor 
Caruso. 

In  an  unfortunate  event  that  occurred  to  me  some 
time  ago  I  lost  the  names  of  my  fellow  voyagers  on 
that  memorable  trip  on  the  Germania,  yet  I  can  well 
recollect  that  there  were  two  American  newly-wedded 
couples  from  the  western  cities,  just  returning  home 
from  their  extensive  honeymoon  trip  abroad,  and 
there  was  a  gentleman,  very  refined  and  well  cultured 
in  literature  whom  we  called,  the  Athenian,  as  he 
hailed  from  Boston,  which  in  the  language  of  all  for- 
eigners is  the  Athens  of  the  United  States,  and  there 
was  the  Jew  merchant  from  Chicago,  and  another 
gentleman,  an  Italian  professor,  who  was  going  to 
occupy  an  exalted  position  in  one  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Institutions  in  New  Orleans,  and  to  our 
delight  there  was  Miss  Maria,  the  only  beloved 
daughter  of  Dr.  Achilles  Rose  of  New  York.  Dr. 
Rose  is  not  only  a  very  prominent  practitioner  as  a 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  41 

physician  in  New  York,  but  he  is  acknowledged  as 
an  eminent  authority  by  the  most  exclusive  Acad- 
emies of  Europe  concerning  medical  matters,  as  well 
as  a  great  linguist  in  the  ancient  and  modern  lan- 
guages, and  a  number  of  publications  contributed  to 
the  scientific  research  are  the  monuments  of  his 
convincing  penmanship.  His  daughter  had  just  fin- 
ished a  long  course  in  the  best  college  ''Arsakeion" 
exclusive  institution  for  girls  in  Athens,  Greece;  and 
she  was  well  quaUfied  to  teach  the  Ancient  and  Mod- 
ern Greek  language  as  well  as  any  professor  in  the 
American  colleges  and  universities.  I  had  to  go  care- 
fully myself  in  order  to  keep  pace  with  her  in  the 
exactness  of  pronunciation  of  the  Greek  words,  and 
when  listening  to  her  telling  some  of  the  joyful 
experiences  she  experienced  in  learning  this  wonder- 
ful Greek  language  I  felt  like  a  Sunday  school 
scholar  impressed  by  her  rhythmical  and  melodious 
harmony  in  pronouncing  every  word  and  sentence 
that  sound  like  the  old  Greek  music  which  even 
Apollo  himself  would  be  glad  to  listen  to. 

With  Miss  Maria  Rose  there  was  Miss  Margaret, 
a  tall  slender  figure  with  every  characteristic  of  a 
genuine  Kentucky  girl,  a  very  respectable  maiden, 
she  was  caressing  for  Miss  Maria  Rose  with  motherly 
tenderness,  she  was  the  playmate  and  constant  com- 
panion of  Miss  Maria  now  passing  the  bridge  of  her 
teens;  yet  Miss  Margaret  could  not  tolerate  seeing 
her  leaning  on  the  rails  of  the  Germania,  she  ap- 
peared presumably  afraid  that  some  terrible  whale 
might  swallow  her  little  Maria  whom  she  loved  as 


42       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

much  as  a  mother  could  love  her  own  child,  a  pleas- 
ure which  she  never  had,  to  know  and  to  love  a  child 
of  her  own,  and  Maria  appeared  to  appreciate  the 
kindness  of  her  governess. 

Now  to  make  up  the  list  of  the  ten  voyagers  there 
was  also  your  obedient  servant,  coming  over  to 
America  to  study  religious,  social  and  industrial  con- 
ditions. An  account  of  his  reasons  for  taking  this 
step  shall  be  given  later  on.  At  this  time  I  must  pro- 
ceed to  complete  my  acquaintances  on  board  the 
Germania.  From  the  first  day  on  board  I  find  myself 
in  very  friendly  terms  with  every  one  of  my  fellow 
voyagers,  and  before  I  knew  it  I  was  the  father  of 
them  all.  As  a  High  Priest  dressed  in  my  church 
garbs,  they  just  pasted  in  front  of  my  name  the 
monkish  title.  Father,  which  I  never  accustomed  my- 
self though  my  official  church  name  consists  of  about 
a  half  a  dozen  titles. 

The  Captain  of  the  Germania,  a  typical  French 
gentleman  very  agreeable  in  all  his  ways,  with  my 
little  French  enabled  me  to  make  myself  understood. 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  passing  many  a  moment  in 
pleasant  conversation  with  him,  and  when  I  wanted 
to  speak  to  the  Americans,  my  heart  was  longing 
to  learn  all  I  could  from  them,  as  they  were  so  kind 
to  me,  and  with  Miss  Maria's  assistance  I  never  went 
lonesome,  her  acting  as  interpreter  between  me  and 
the  Americans,  for  by  that  time  I  was  not  able  to 
even  pronounce  correctly  a  sentence  in  the  English 
language. 

With  all   these  acquaintances   my   time   was   well 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  43 

occupied  and  to  my  personal  delight,  by  chance,  I 
found  my  constant  companion  in  the  person  of  Dr. 
Lucretius,  the  first  physician  of  the  Germania,  an 
Italian  gentleman.  By  tokens  and  signs  we  found  that 
both  of  us  belong  to  that  great  body  of  men  that 
knows  each  other  as  brothers  in  every  corner  of  the 
inhabited  world.  It  was  he,  Dr.  Lucretius,  who  came 
to  my  cabin  on  the  morning  of  the  i6th  of  May,  at 
about  5  a.  m.,  and  knocking  at  the  door,  said.  Father 
Golden,  we  are  now  entering  into  the  harbor  of  New 
York,  and  if  you  want  to  enjoy  a  grand  view  of  the 
surrounding  country  you  had  better  come  out  on  the 
upper  bridge.  I  shall  be  there  waiting  for  you  to 
explain  some  of  the  most  beautiful  sceneries  that  you 
have  ever  looked  upon  in  your  life.  And  he  was 
correct,  without  any  exaggeration,  for  when  I  leaped 
from  my  bed  and  dressed  myself  as  fast  as  I  could 
I  went  to  meet  my  friend  and  brother,  Dr.  Lucretius. 
Rushing  up  to  the  bridge  I  greeted  him  "Bon- 
jorno,  mio  fratello"  shaking  his  hand  at  the  same 
time,  almost  I  cried  out,  this  certainly  is  an  artificial 
imitation  of  the  entrance  to  Bosphorus,  and  if  it  were 
not  for  that  great  statue  and  mausoleum  of  Liberty, 
which  I  coud  see  ahead  of  me,  I  would  surely  beheve 
that  I  was  dreaming,  it  is  like  entering  the  harbor 
of  Constantinople,  and  just  at  this  point,  looking  into 
the  face  of  my  esteemed  friend,  Dr.  Lucretius,  I  said 
to  him;  let  us  hope  that  the  day  is  not  far  distant 
when  we  shall  salute  the  God-giving  Liberty  in  the 
heart  of  the  great  city  of  Constantinople.  That  was 
six  years  ago  and  every  word  I  said  it  came  out  of 


44      CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

my  mouth  as  a  prayer  of  my  heart  in  all  my  sin- 
cerity. Today  I  do  thank  God  for  it  is  a  reality.  Tur- 
key is  free!  But  she  is  like  a  child;  she  needs  the 
guidance  of  a  strong  hand  to  guide  her  in  the  path 
of  righteousness  and  love  to  God  and  bring  her  to 
Christ  who  is  the  only  one  to  give  Liberty  and  Free- 
dom "For  whom  He  made  free,  is  free  indeed." 
Turkey  has  accomplished  the  greatest  part  of  her 
own  salvation,  yea,  she  has  done  more  than  many 
of  the  so-called  Christian  empires  expected  her  to 
do.  They  are  now  rubbing  their  eyes,  and  of  course 
it  is  their  purpose  in  order  to  save  their  commercial 
interests,  they  are  going  to  put  in  her  way  all  the 
obstacles  they  can  to  overthrow  the  new  Constitution, 
and  if  Turkey  fails  in  her  reformation  this  time,  it 
would  not  be  only  her  own  fault.  A  great  share  of 
the  responsibility  rests  upon  the  shoulders  of  every 
American  man  and  woman  who  solemnly  declares  to 
stand  by  and  be  a  protector  of  the  principles  laid 
down  by  Washington,  the  father  not  only  of  his  own 
country,  but  most  of  the  civilized  world.  Unless 
America  arises  equal  to  the  occasion  there  is  every 
reason  to  entertain  all  kinds  of  fears  from  the  Middle 
and  Western  Europe's  diplomats. 

How  many  American  active  missionaries  are  there 
in  Constantinople,  Smyrna,  Aidin,  Saloniki,  Adana, 
Ephesos  and  every  city  in  Turkey  today  working 
for  the  regeneration  of  the  people  who  dared  and 
successfully  broke  down  from  his  throne  a  Sultan? 
Wake  up,  my  dear  reader  and  gird  yourself  with  the 
nolbe  armor  of  your  manhood  and  your  womanhood 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  45 

and  do  the  best,  the  very  best  of  your  ability  to  help 
the  millions  of  mothers  and  children  over  in  Turkey, 
they  are  starving  for  spiritual  food,  they  are  crying 
to  you  as  your  own  brothers  and  sisters  of  the  same 
family  of  humanity;  will  you  close  your  ears  and  not 
hsten  to  their  cry?  or  will  you  open  your  heart,  your 
sympathy  and  your  pocket-book  and  send  off  all  the 
missionaries  you  can  to  do  the  work?  I  pray  that 
you  will,  and  God  will  reward  you  in  Heaven  and 
down  here  He  will  keep  the  days  of  your  life  sweet 
in  splendid  memory  that  you  have  done  your  part 
in  the  salvation  of  all  mankind. 

The  opportunity  may  occur  again  to  discourse  this 
very  heart  aching  subject.  Now,  as  we  approach 
the  colossus  of  Liberty,  Miss  Maria  Rose  made  her 
morning  appearance  and  before  we  all  could  ex- 
change the  ''Bon  Jour"  salutations  to  her,  she  grace- 
fully grasped  the  gentleman  from  Boston  by  the  arm 
and  walking  up  and  down  the  bridge  with  soldierly 
step,  began  in  an  apparently  joyful  voice  to  sing, 
audibly  *'My  Country  'tis  of  thee,  sweet  land  of  Lib- 
erty" and  just  as  she  was  getting  more  enthusiastic 
in  her  song,  the  gentleman  from  Boston  uttered  a 
loud  cry  "Strawberries — fresh  strawberries,"  and  as 
by  explosion  a  heartiest  laughter  went  out  of  every 
mouth  on  the  bridge,  and  the  waves  received  on  their 
wings  that  expression  of  our  gratitude  to  carry  it  to 
the  end  of  their  destination,  while  the  Germania  drew 
us  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  land  of  the  free  and  the 
home  of  the  brave. 

A  call   came   to  us   all   at   this   moment   that   the 


46       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

custom  officers  from  New  York  were  already  in  the 
reception  room  waiting  for  us  to  make  our  declara- 
tions in  accordance  with  the  customary  law,  and  by 
the  time  I  had  complied  with  my  duties,  to  that  re- 
spect, I  heard  a  stentorian  voice  ''Cast  Anchor"  and 
turning  around  in  a  semi-circle,  with  center  on  my 
right  toe  I  endeavored  to  unfold  the  meaning  of  the 
exciting  motion.  Sailors  and  officers  of  the  boat 
rushing  in  all  directions,  it  seemed  as  though  they 
were  preparing  for  a  great  battle,  and  determined  to 
win.  The  big  S.  S.  Germania  was  tied  in  the  docks  of 
Brooklyn  and  every  voyager  was  ready  to  bid  her 
farewell.  The  steward  of  my  cabin,  uncalled,  he  was 
on  my  side,  and  the  thought  came  to  me  that  it  was 
his  last  chance  for  his  gratuities  from  me  anyway. 
He  looked  upon  my  face  like  a  child  expecting  his 
Christmas  presents,  and  said,  with  a  fainting  smile. 
Father,  your  trunk  is  on  its  way  to  your  destination 
and  here  is  your  valise  and  I  am  awaiting  your  pleas- 
ure to  direct  you  to  the  Sixth  Avenue  Elevated 
Station,  which  will  take  you  to  the  123rd  Street  and 
Seventh  Avenue,  Harlem,  according  to  your  wishes 
to  reach  your  dwelling  place.  The  bell  of  the  Ger- 
mania was  ringing  eight  o'clock  a.m.,  when  I  was 
bidding  farewell  to  my  steward  with  the  instructions 
how  to  reach  the  Elevated  Station,  and  turning  to 
the  first  corner  from  the  docks  of  Brooklyn,  a  famil- 
iar voice  I  heard  behind  me  calling  ''Father,"  and 
instantly  a  hand  took  hold  of  the  sleeve  of  my  gar- 
ment, and  looking  backward  I  saw  Miss  Maria  Rose 
with   her    governess,    Margaret,    and    the    gentleman 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  47 

from  Boston,  who  was  still  holding  my  garment,  and 
in  good  humor  said,  he,  in  his  broken  French,  "Now 
Father,  we  could  not  tolerate  to  see  you  go  all  alone 
in  the  streets  of  New  York  dressed  in  these  robes, 
because  if  you  only  attract  the  curiosity  of  some  mis- 
chievous children  there  is  no  telling  what  may  happen 
to  you,  if  they  mistake  you  as  a  carnival  dressed  this 
way  just  for  sport;  but.  Miss  Maria  Rose,  hastened 
to  aid,  interrupting  the  gentleman.  Father,  you  have 
good  luck,  today  is  Sunday  and  early  in  the  morning 
you  will  be  saved  from  great  things  which  might 
happen  to  you  otherwise.  Besides  we  are  going  as 
far  as  59th  Street  and  the  gentleman  from  Boston,  he 
is  going  to  take  the  train  at  125th  Street,  Harlem, 
and  there  you  will  be  within  a  few  blocks  from  the 
house  you  desire  to  go  to. 

They  bought  the  ticket  for  me  and  soon  the  Ele- 
vated was  crossing  the  Brooklyn  bridge.  The  grand 
panorama  on  both  sides  of  the  bridge  brought  the 
thought  into  my  mind  that  if  the  architects  of 
America  were  able  to  accomplish  such  a  wonder  as 
this,  they  would  certainly  have  easier  times  to  build 
the  Babel  Tower  without  any  confusion  of  tongues; 
but  my  breath  went  out  of  my  breast  and  for  a 
moment  I  thought  that  the  beating  of  my  heart 
stopped,  when  we  reached  that  curving  at  iioth 
Street  and  8th  Avenue,  New  York.  The  magnificent 
sight  from  that  tremendous  height,  looking  to  my 
left  at  the  mammoth  advertising  boards,  the  velvety 
green  fields  and  at  the  top  of  the  hill  that  Episcopal 
church,  which  will  be  when  finished  another  architec- 


48       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

tural  wonder,  and  looking  to  my  right  at  the  Central 
Park  which  we  just  swiftly  passed,  now  I  see  the 
flat  roofs  of  the  buildings  and  on  many  of  them  the 
washing  of  the  family  hanging,  forgotten  perhaps, 
from  last  Saturday,  it  is  indeed  a  grand  sight  which 
the  inhabitants  of  New  York  in  that  section,  by  being 
accustomed  to  it,  very  little  appreciate. 

9.30,  my  friend  from  Boston,  said,  as  we  were  de- 
scending the  stairways  on  the  125th  Street  and  8th 
Avenue,  as  he  looked  at  his  time-piece.  If  it  were 
not  for  my  train  which  I  must  take  at  9.58  I  would 
gladly  accompany  you  to  your  place,  yet,  said  he, 
you  only  have  two  blocks  to  walk  southward  and  one 
eastward  and  you  will  see  the  number  on  the  left  hand 
side,  and  with  a  cordial  hand  shake  he  jumped  on  the 
electric  car  passing  at  the  moment  on  125th  Street 
towards  New  York-Boston  R.  R.  station,  to  board 
his  train,  and  I  started  on  my  way  to  the  place  where 
I  was  going  to  make  my  temporary  home. 


CHAPTER  III 

First  Day  in  New  Yorh 

IT  is  not  my  purpose  in  this  little  volume  to  make 
any  boast  of  myself  as  an  historian.  Book- 
making  is  not  my  profession ;  neither  do  I  propose  to 
go  into  extensive  details  more  than  it  is  necessary 
to  harmonize  the  coincidents  of  events  as  they  oc- 
curred and  the  effect  they  produced  in  the  develop- 
ment of  an  unusual  Christian  career,  and  God  knows 
that  my  only  desire  is  to  reconcile  the  opposing 
privileges  of  a  meek  and  lowly  Christian  worker,  to 
be  equal  if  not  greater  to  those  of  a  High  Priest  who 
in  his  fulness  of  life  though  one  of  the  most  active 
ecclesiastical  officials  in  the  highest  circles  of  church 
and  society,  liis  firm  belief  in  success,  knowing  of 
no  fear,  and  daringly  climbing  up  in  higher  ranks 
among  philosophical  societies,  holding  such  an  ex- 
alted position  in  the  most  ancient  Christian  church. 
The  church  that  holds  the  undisputable  proof  as  the 
first  authentical  apostolic  establishment  with  founder 
the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles  himself.  And  who  is  the 
student  of  the  Scriptures,  be  he  a  Christian  or  phi- 
losopher of  the  Epicurean  or  the  Stoic  system  that 
could  reasonably  argue  that  the  oration  on  the  Are- 
opagus made  by  Paul  to  the  Athenians  being  the 
masterpiece    and    model    of    the    most    convincing 


50       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

speeches  ever  made  in  the  Christian  era?  That  this 
High  Priest,  while  enjoying  all  the  comforts  and 
privileges  belonging  to  his  high  office,  together  with 
its  honors  and  gorgeous  trappings,  does  not  attach 
any  over-weening  importance  to  ecclesiastical  dignity, 
neither  does  he  consider  a  "comedown"  the  step  he 
has  taken,  but  he  gives  the  simple,  yet  convincing 
reason  that  he  just  follows  the  process  of  evolution 
in  Christianity,  doing  the  will  of  his  Master  who 
promised  to  all  mankind  one  Lord — one  Faith — 
one  Baptism.  And  for  the  last  six  years  he  has 
proven  that  it  is  possible  for  a  man  to  begin  from 
the  very  bottom  of  life,  his  nearest  and  dearest  rela- 
tives opposing  him,  with  no  friends  to  understand 
his  desires  and  his  ambitions,  to  be  a  wanderer  in 
a  great  country  like  the  United  States,  and  travel 
from  the  Atlantic  Coast  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  proud 
to  always  be  able  to  support  himself  and  also  help 
someone  on  his  way.  Exercising  the  principle  of  the 
Apostle  Paul,  working  hard  for  his  living,  stranger 
not  only  to  the  ethics  and  customs  of  the  people 
whose  sympathetic  hearts  he  was  coming  to  win,  but 
unable  to  even  put  two  sentences  together  in  their 
own  language,  and  today  here  he  is  to  tell  you  the 
story,  as  true  as  your  beautiful  breath  that  keeps 
your  soul  and  body  alive,  and  the  only  favor  he  asks 
from  you  is  that  when  you  severely  criticise  the  gram- 
matical and  syntactical  site  in  the  execution  of  this 
work,  you  may  in  your  kindness,  remember  that  his 
only  resource  to  derive  any  philological  assistance, 
was  a  twenty-five  cent  Webster's  dictionary,  bought 
from  a  second-hand  book  store. 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  51 

This  is  my  first  day  in  New  York.  And  looking 
around  to  find  the  number  of  the  house  where  I  was 
going  to  stay,  my  thoughts  were  so  animated  as  to 
feel  that  all  the  arteries  and  veins  of  my  body  through 
my  feet  were  kissing  the  ground  upon  which  my  heart 
would  soon  appease  with  its  Maker. 

A  few  people,  going  to  the  Low  Mass,  I  should 
judge  by  the  solemnity  of  their  walk,  men  and 
women,  sent  curious  glances  at  the  stranger  dressed 
in  the  robes  on  the  street.  By  this  time  approaching 
the  7th  Avenue  and  not  finding  the  desired  number 
I  was  just  directing  my  steps  towards  a  gentleman 
dressed  in  some  kind  of  uniform  to  inquire  about 
the  place,  when  a  young  man  tipped  his  hat  in  front 
of  me  and  raised  the  finger  of  his  right  hand  and 
pointed  to  the  sign  of  the  florist's  store  just  a  few 
steps  backwards.  I  could  then  plainly  read  the  name 
on  the  board  above  the  door.  It  was  the  name  very 
dear  to  me,  which,  with  longing  heart  I  was  looking 
for.  Almost  immediately  a  man  came  out  from 
that  same  store  with  a  broad  smile  on  his  face  and 
with  a  gentle  bow,  as  though  asking  my  permission, 
he  took  my  valise  thus  relieving  me  just  in  time,  and 
leading  the  way  into  the  store  I  saw  another  gentle- 
man behind  a  counter  preparing  a  large  floral  design 
from  the  rarest  flowers  of  the  season,  for  the  funeral 
of  a  most  distinguished  politician  of  Harlem. 

Although  I  yield  to  no  man  in  the  appreciation 
of  a  good  smihng  face  and  here  I  had  two  of  them 
and  the  most  typical  faces  which  are  prominent  in  the 
making  of  this  heterogeneous  republic,  John,  repre- 


52      CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

senting  the  Huguenot  and  Dutch,  and  Jack  whose 
father  and  mother  were  Irish,  and  Jack  was  Irish  too. 
Both  these  ge;itlemen  with  pantomimic  actions  in  a 
few  words  which  now  I  know  were  English  words 
but  at  that  time  I  could  not  tell  if  they  were  Chinese 
or  Hindoo.  They  tried  to  make  me  understand  that 
Mr.  George  N.,  whom  they  knew  I  was  looking  for,  as 
they  had  heard  him  speaking  of  me  and  they  saw  my 
photograph,  and  they  were  waiting  notification  of  my 
coming,  and  that  they  were  struck  by  ecstasy  at  my 
sudden  appearance,  he  was  at  breakfast  and  that  he 
would  soon  be  back  so  I  had  better  step  into  his  office 
and  rest  myself  while  waiting  for  him.  The  expec- 
tancy to  meet  my  friend  George  N.,  it  lengthened 
every  moment  for  me  waiting  in  that  little  office. 
Twenty- four  years  since  I  saw  him  last  when  I  was 
only  ten  years  old,  and  even  if  I  had  not  seen  his 
photograph  in  all  these  years  I  could  distinguish  him 
among  ten  thousand.  He  was  my  first  teacher  in  the 
grammar  school;  neighbor  in  my  home  and  a  very 
great  distant  relative.  He  always  took  especial  inter- 
est in  my  scholarship.  My  childhood  and  school  days 
were  not  all  that  I  could  desire  for  me,  to  be,  for  I 
was  an  orphan,  yet  it  was  that  orphan  who  always 
carried  the  first  or  the  second  honors  in  the  annual 
examinations.  It  was  for  this  reason,  perhaps,  that 
my  teachers  were  all  well  pleased  with  my  progress. 
The  past  is  only  a  memory,  yet  when  we  look  back  in 
the  light  of  our  sincerity  we  can  trace  every  point  and 
every  reason  that  contributed  to  our  success  or  fail- 
ure in  our  Hves.    It  is  not  a  vision  neither  is  there  a 


o 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  53 

mere   kinetoscope   procession.     The   High   Priest   is 
here  waiting  to  meet  his  teacher  with  the  same  solem- 
nity as  in  the  old  school  days  when  he  had  to  meet 
his  teacher  after  some  of  his  occasional  mischiefs. 
With  these  and  other  agreeable  memories  relishing 
my  time  in  that  office,  I  heard  a  loud  applause  in  the 
store  and  the  words  "Father  is  here,"  aroused  my 
inquisitiveness   and  before   I   could  leave  my   chair, 
there  was  at  the  door  of  the  office  standing  the  man 
whom  I  wanted  to  see.    Sturdy  and  resolute  with  two 
slow  steps  he  now  extends  a  welcome  hand  to  me  and 
as  he  called  me  by  my  childish  nickname  in  response 
said,  I,  my  teacher!     Yes,  said  he.  How  do  you  do 
my  Father?    Why  didn't  you  let  me  know  when  you 
were  coming  so  I  could  meet  you  at  the  pier;  How 
long   have  you  been  wandering  to   find  this  place? 
And  many  other  tjmplimentaries,  but,  you  must,  he 
went  on  saying,  change  your  appearance  at  once,  for 
I  am  not  going  to  disgrace  myself  and  you  too,  if 
we  dare  to  walk  on  the  streets  with  you  dressed  in 
robes  like  this.    Let  us  go  up  stairs  in  my  room,  and 
I  believe  you  can  be  fitted  with  a  new  suit  of  clothes 
made  to  order  for  me  which  I  was  ready  to  try  on 
today,  as  the  tailor  just  sent  them  here  a  little  while 
ago.     Then  you  must  have  a  very  clean  shave,  my 
goodness,  there  is  a  whole  mask  to  come  off  your 
face  and  the  long  black  hair  you  have,  you  can  make 
some  money  by  selling  it  to  any   fashionable  lady. 
Now,  Father,  you  have  to  hurry,  because  the  barber 
shop    closes    at    12    o'clock    and   you    only    have   the 
necessary  time  to  change  your  dress. 


54       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

The  clothes  which  George  N.  offered  for  my 
transfiguration  with  the  exception  of  being  made  for 
a  man  one  inch  taller  than  my  own  stature  they 
didn't  look  very  awkward  upon  me  and  to  escape 
curiosity  he  took  me  through  the  alleys  of  a  narrow 
passage  into  the  124th  Street,  where  an  elderly  Ger- 
man kept  a  barber  shop  and  when  he  was  through 
cleaning  that  over  burdened  head  of  mine,  he  was 
almost  exhausted,  and  liable  to  a  fine,  if  any  police- 
man happened  to  see  him  working  on  Sunday  after 
12  o'clock.  The  barber  closed  the  door  of  his  shop 
allowing  time  for  us  to  just  step  out  and  we  hastened 
our  way  back  to  the  store,  now  walking  on  7th 
Avenue.  Jack,  whose  name  already  is  mentioned 
here,  is  one  of  the  leading  flower  decorators  in  New 
York  City.  He  could  make  a  cross  of  flowers  look 
like  a  picture,  and  he  could  make  a  bouquet  for  the 
most  particular  bride,  he  could  decorate  a  little  chapel 
around  the  corner  and  make  it  look  as  artistic  as  he 
could  decorate  a  rich  mansion  in  the  most  exclusive 
Riverside  Drive.  Jack  made  as  much  money  as  any 
of  his  high  grade  fellow  traders  in  Harlem,  and  he 
had  no  home  responsibilities,  his  widow  mother  being 
what  we  might  call  well-to-do,  for  she  owned  con- 
siderable real  estate  in  that  vicinity,  yet,  Jack,  every 
Monday  morning  had  to  obtain  a  loan  for  his  carfare, 
and  more  than  half  a  dozen  young  ladies  all  around 
Manhattan  were  particularly  interested  in  Jack's  wel- 
fare. This  is  Sunday  and  one  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, and  Jack  should  be  enjoying  his  holiday,  and 
there  were  already  two  of  his  female  chums  waiting 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  55 

for  him  on  the  sidewalk.  Yet  Jack  had  always  some 
more  time  to  spare  to  accommodate  his  employer 
George  N.,  who  as  now  entered  the  store  he  gave  the 
synthematical  pass-word  ''that's  all,"  which  in  the 
language  of  the  employer  and  employees  it  means 
*'The  boys  may  now  go  home." 

But  Jack,  as  he  took  a  glimpse  on  me,  in  all  his 
Irish  calibre  he  almost  screamed:  Help!  St.  Patrick, 
what  a  metamorphosis  is  this?  Is  that  you,  Father? 
You  look  now  to  me  more  like  a  butterfly  out  of  a 
caterpillar  than  anything  in  Ireland.  Say,  girls,  call- 
ing his  friends  from  the  outside,  come  in  you  girls,  I 
take  the  honor  to  introduce  you  to  the  Father  .  .  .  ., 
but,  my  soul,  I  am  ashamed  to  call  you  Father,  so 
fashionable  a  gentleman  as  you  look  now.  You 
shall  not  call  me  Father,  said  I,  as  long  as  you  see 
me  dressed  like  a  gentleman.  I  shall  not,  Jack  said, 
and  with  his  girls  took  his  departure,  while  George 
N.,  who  interpreted  all  this  merriment,  took  a  fresh 
white  rose  and  put  it  in  my  buttonhole.  Let  us  go  for 
lunch,  said  he  and  I  followed  gladly  for  I  felt  it  was 
a  timely  call. 

As  George  N.  is  a  bachelor  he  takes  his  meals  in  no 
particular  place,  anywhere  from  Harlem  Casino  or 
Palm  Garden  or  Manhattan  Club  to  a  ten  cent  lunch 
counter.  Today  he  took  me  into  a  dollar  a  plate 
restaurant  on  125th  Street.  Before  I  was  through 
with  my  dinner,  George  N.  made  the  remark  to  me 
saying  ''if  you  always  enjoy  the  American  cooking 
the  way  I  observe  you  doing,  you  will  never  starve  in 
America,  I  assure  you."     It  was  the  wisest  prophecy 


56      CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

that  George  N.  ever  made  about  my  future  in 
America. 

After  dinner  we  visited  Grant's  Tomb  on  River- 
side Drive  and  on  our  return  he  gave  me  instructions 
how  to  find  the  Waldorf  Astoria  hotel  where  Aleck, 
one  of  his  nephews  had  a  position,  and  that  Aleck 
would  make  arrangements  for  the  night  for  me  and 
that  the  following  morning  George  N.  would  wait 
for  me  to  discuss  my  plans  for  the  future.  I  left 
him  and  when  I  was  in  my  room  which  Aleck  pro- 
vided for  me,  the  time  was  well  nigh  midnight. 

After  the  day's  excitement  I  hoped  that  a  good 
night's  rest  would  refresh  me  anew  and  the  next 
morning  would  find  me  prepared  for  the  work  I  chose 
to  devote  my  future  life  in  this  New  World.  With 
a  lightning  quickness  my  mind  examined  all  my  past 
life  and  with  the  same  speed  I  made  my  conclusions 
that  there  was  no  more  any  pleasure  for  me  to  look 
back,  neither  was  there  any  attraction  in  that  garb 
which  so  often  is  the  representation  of  hypocrisy 
itself.  I  felt  so  happy  for  my  decision  and  with  a 
grateful  heart  I  bent  on  my  knees  in  prayer  to  Him 
who  lay  down  His  life  for  my  freedom  and  my  salva- 
tion, and  as  an  evidence  of  my  good  health,  the  night 
passed  undisturbed  in  sound  sleep  and  in  the  morn- 
ing when  Aleck  called  me  for  breakfast  I  felt  that 
every  fibre  of  my  body  was  springing  for  action,  and 
with  the  last  touch  leaping  from  my  bed  the  first  day 
of  new  life  went  into  history. 


CHAPTER  IV 

High  Priest 

FOR  the  benefit  of  those  who  ignorantly,  if  not 
deliberately  by  deceit,  misled  to  believe  that  the 
priest  has  any  authority,  which  the  truly  converted 
Christian  could  not  exercise,  the  present  chapter  is 
offered  in  the  spirit  of  love  without  any  fear  of  con- 
tradiction or  dispute,  because  the  facts  given  here 
are  well  established  upon  the  Scriptural  Truths  and 
the  reader  may  at  all  times  maintain  the  proofs  to 
disprove  refutable  arguments  of  persons  whose  only 
purpose  is  to  serve  their  own  individual  interests. 

The  priest,  one  who  officiates  in  secret  offices,  it 
is  the  definition  given  in  Webster's  dictionary.  And 
from  the  most  authentic  Biblical  concordances  we 
derive  the  following  information:  The  priest  under 
the  law  was  a  person  consecrated  and  ordained  of 
God,  not  only  to  teach  the  people  and  pray  for  them, 
but  also  to  offer  up  sacrifices  for  his  own  sins  and 
those  of  the  people.  The  priesthood  was  not  annexed 
to  a  certain  family,  till  after  the  promulgation  of  the 
law  of  Moses. 

Before  that  time  the  first  born  of  every  family, 
the  fathers,  the  kings,  the  princes,  were  priests,  born 
in  their  city  and  in  their  own  homes.  Cain  and  Abel, 
Noah,    Abraham    and    Job,    Abimelech    and    Laban, 


58       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

Isaac  and  Jacob,  offered  themselves  their  own  sacri- 
fices. In  the  solemnity  of  the  covenant  that  the  Lord 
made  with  his  people  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Sinai, 
Moses  performed  the  office  of  meditator,  and  young 
men  were  chosen  from  among  the  children  of  Israel 
to  perform  the  office  of  priests.  But  after  that  the 
Lord  had  chosen  the  tribe  of  Levi  to  serve  him  in 
his  tabernacle,  and  that  the  priesthood  was  annexed 
to  the  family  of  Aaron,  then  the  right  of  offering 
sacrifices  to  God  was  reserved  to  the  priests  alone  of 
this  family. 

Duties  of  the  priests:  The  priests  were  required 
to  prove  their  descent  from  Aaron,  to  be  free  from 
all  bodily  defect  or  blemish;  must  not  be  observed 
mourning  except  for  near  relatives;  must  not  marry 
a  woman  that  had  been  a  harlot ;  or  divorced,  or  pro- 
fane. The  priest's  daughter  who  committed  whore- 
dom was  to  be  burned,  as  profaning  her  father.  The 
priests  were  to  have  the  charge  of  the  sanctuary  and 
the  altar,  which  being  once  kindled  the  priest  was 
always  to  keep  it  burning.  In  later  times,  and  upon 
extraordinary  occasions,  at  least,  they  flayed  the 
burnt-offerings  and  killed  the  Passover.  They  were 
to  receive  the  blood  of  the  burnt-offerings  in  basins 
and  sprinkle  it  around  about  the  altar,  arrange  the 
wood  and  the  fire,  and  to  burn  the  parts  of  the 
sacrifices.  If  the  burnt  sacrifices  were  of  doves,  the 
priest  was  to  nip  off  the  head  with  the  finger  nail, 
squeeze  out  the  blood  on  the  edge  of  the  altar,  pluck 
off  the  feathers,  and  throw  them  with  the  crop  into 
the  ash-pit,  divide  down  the  wings,  and  then  com- 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  59 

pletely  burn  it.  He  was  to  offer  a  lamb  every  morn- 
ing and  evening,  and  a  double  number  on  the  Sab- 
bath, the  burnt-offerings  ordered  at  the  beginning 
of  months,  and  the  same  on  the  feast  of  Unleavened 
Bread,  and  on  the  day  of  the  First  Fruits ;  to  receive 
the  meat-offering  of  the  offerer,  bring  it  to  the  altar, 
take  of  it  a  memorial,  and  burn  it  upon  the  altar;  to 
sprinkle  the  blood  of  the  peace-offerings  upon  the 
altar  around  about,  and  then  to  offer  of  it  a  burnt- 
offering;  to  offer  the  sin-offering  for  the  sins  of  a 
ruler  or  any  of  the  common  people;  to  eat  the  sin- 
offering  at  the  holy  place ;  and  the  same  way  to  offer 
offerings  for  all  the  kinds  of  sin  and  the  priest  should 
eat  these  offerings  at  the  holy  place;  to  offer  for  the 
purification  of  women  after  child-birth;  to  judge  of 
the  leprosy  in  the  human  body  or  garments  (it  is  re- 
markable that  the  Jewish  race  from  the  beginning, 
has  been  all  through  the  ages  a  heavy  victim  of  lep- 
rosy). The  priest  was  to  make  the  ointment  of  spices; 
to  prepare  the  water  of  separation ;  to  act  as  assessor 
in  judicial  proceedings;  to  encourage  the  army  when 
going  to  battle,  and  probably  to  have  charge  of  the 
law. 

The  emoluments  of  the  priests:  The  perquisites 
of  the  priests  were  many  and  various,  and  as  Philo 
calls  them  very  rich,  and  this  statement  holds  good 
all  the  way  down  to  the  Christian  priest  who  inherited 
most  of  the  virtues  of  his  Jewish  predecessors.  Thus 
no  wonder  for  the  priests  to  keep  their  people  in 
dense  ignorance  of  the  historical  originality  of  the 
priesthood.     And  the  high  priest,  besides  all   duties 


6o      CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

and  privileges  already  mentioned  as  common  to  him 
and  the  ordinary  priest,  he  must  not  marry  a  widow, 
nor  a  divorced  woman,  or  a  profane,  or  that  had  been 
a  harlot,  but  a  virgin  Israelitess.     He  must  not  eat 
anything  that  died  of  itself,  or  was  torn  by  beasts; 
must  wash  his  hands  and  feet  when  he  went  into  the 
tabernacle  to  offer  the  mass.    The  high  priest  was  the 
divinely  inspired  judge  and  truly  he  was  the  supreme 
ruler  till  the  time  of  David,  and  again  after  the  cap- 
tivity.    He  would  ask  counsel  of  the  Lord  if  a  new 
ruler  was  worthy  or  not  and  accordingly  grant  or 
regret  the  appointment  of  the  ruler.     It  is  the  privi- 
lege which  the  Pope  derives  from  Eleazar  and  trying 
to  exercise  this  privilege  against  the  rulers  of  Europe 
for  fifteen  centuries  became  the  menace  in  the  prog- 
ress   of    humanity.      The   high   priest   had    also   un- 
limited power  upon  the  funds  of  the  sanctuary.    And 
it  may  be  out  of  proportion  in  this  book  to  give  a 
complete  description  of  all  the  privileges  and  regalia 
of  the  high  priest,  yet  the  reader  could  easily  imagine 
the   frivolities   unfortunately  existing  even  today  in 
the  ceremonial  dress  of  the  high  priest,  and  to  confirm 
this  fact  he  only  has  to  enter  in  the  first  Russian  or 
Greek  or  Roman  Catholic  church  at  any  day  of  some 
special  celebration  and  there  he  cannot  help  but  ob- 
serve an  imitation  of  the  lamentable  vanity  of  a  high 
priest  of  the  old  Jewish  faith.    And  the  truth  is  visible 
to  the  naked  eye.     Would  ever  sincerity  and  priest- 
hood   meet   in  one   and   the  same   person   it  would 
make  the  most  paradox  phenomenon,  and  such  ex- 
ceptional  occurrences   are  very   rare   in  the   ecclesi- 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  6i 

astical  horizon,  for  virtue  and  priesthood  are  the  very 
logical  antithesis,  and  chemically  speaking  they  are 
protogon  matters  not  yielding  to  adulteration.  Be- 
tween priesthood  and  Christ  there  is  an  abyss  of 
argument,  but  there  is  no  bridge  to  join  both  sides. 
Priesthood  on  one  side  in  the  most  pharisaic  manner 
imposing  its  superfluous  authority  upon  all  mortals. 
And  Jesus  the  Christ  of  God  with  his  wounded  side, 
in  the  most  emphatic  manner,  condemning  the  phari- 
saic scheme,  which  is  a  continuation  in  the  Greek — 
Russian — Roman  Catholic  church:  "For  they  bind 
heavy  burdens  and  grievous  to  be  borne,  and  lay 
them  on  man's  shoulders;  but  they  themselves  will 
not  move  them  with  one  of  their  fingers."  And  if  the 
words  of  the  blessed  Christ  himself  speaking  in  the 
23d  chapter  of  Matthew,  have  no  effect  upon  the 
consciousness  of  the  priest,  there  is  all  vain  to  any 
other  way  trying  to  bring  him  into  the  light  of  wis- 
dom. In  the  history  of  all  mankind  there  are  three 
distinct  stages  of  priesthood,  and  in  its  two  former 
stages  it  had  been  a  complete  failure,  in  its  present 
stage  is  falling  so  fast,  and  it  is  condemned,  already, 
by  all  reasoning  minds,  that  it  is  only  a  matter  of  time 
before  the  human  race  shall  be  free  from  these  para- 
sites. The  priest,  of  the  Jewish  faith,  failed  because 
he  was  inhuman,  the  priest  of  the  Greek  idolatry 
failed,  because  he  was  a  philosophical  fraud;  and  the 
priest  of  the  present  time,  shall  fail,  because  he  is 
the  very  opposing  visible  enemy  of  God's  kingdom. 
The  sacerdotal  office  of  the  priest,  is  anti-christian. 
Here  we  shall  attempt  to  only  describe  one  piece 


62       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

of    the    dress    of    the    high    priest,    the    breast-plate 
(rationale)  ;  a  gorget,  ten  inches  square,  made  of  the 
same  sort  of  cloth  as  the  ephod,  and  doubled  so  as  to 
form  a  kind  of  pouch  or  bag,  in  which  was  to  be 
put  the  urim  and  thummim,  which  are  also  mentioned 
as  is  already  known.    The  external  part  of  this  gorget 
was  set  with  four  rows  of  precious  stones;  the  first 
row,  a  serdious,  a  topaz,  and  a  carbuncle;  the  sec- 
ond, an   emerald,   a   sapphire,   and   a   diamond;  the 
third,  a  ligure,  an  agate,  and  an  amethyst,  and  the 
fourth,  a  beryl,  an  onyx  and  a  jasper,  set  in  a  golden 
socket.     Upon  each  of  these  stones  was  to  be  en- 
graven the  name  of  one  of  the  sons  of  Jacob.     In 
the  ephod  in  which  there  was  a  space  left  open  suffi- 
ciently large  for  the  admission  of  this  pectoral,  were 
four  rings  of  gold,  to  which  four  others  at  the  four 
corners    of   the   breast-plate   corresponded;    the   two 
lower  rings  of  gold  being  fixed  inside.     It  was  con- 
fined to  the  ephod  by  means  of  dark  blue  ribbons, 
which  passed  through  these  rings;  and  it  was  also 
suspended  from  the  onyx  stones  on  the  shoulder  by 
chains  of  gold,  or  rather  cords  of  twisted  gold  thread, 
which  were  fastened  at  one  end  to  two  other  larger 
rings  fixed  in  the  upper  corners  of  the  pectoral,  and 
by  the  other  end  going  around  the  onyx  stones  on 
the  shoulders,  and  returning  and  being  fixed  in  the 
larger    ring.      And    a    splendid    ornament    upon   the 
breast  was  a  winged  scarabaeus,  the  emblem  of  the 
Sun,  and  the  unavoidable  portion  of  the  ceremonial 
dress  pecuHar  to  the  high  priest  was  the  miter,  mitre 
or  Cidaris,  a  head  gear  of  gold  and  silver  and  pre- 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  63 

cious  stones  whose  magnificence  we  would  not  dare 
to  describe  in  this  work,  but  the  reader  may  in  his 
life  be  fortunate  enough  to  see  one  of  these  wonder- 
ful paraphernalia  on  the  head  of  some  of  the  now- 
a-days  self-styled  representatives  of  Jesus  Christ, 
who  came  to  seek  and  save  the  lost  and  he  did  not 
make  of  himself  a  show  in  these  follies  of  the  old 
Jewish  faith  that  proved  a  failure. 

That  the  priests  in  Israel  more  than  once  by  their 
indulgence  went  down  to  idolatry,  the  old  testa- 
ment abounds  in  evidences,  but  I  shall  only  men- 
tion the  incidents  of  Eli  the  high  priest  and  his  two 
sons,  Hophni  and  Phinehas.  Josephus  says,  the 
high  priest  had  also  the  very  idolatrous  symbolical 
meanings  of  every  part  of  his  dress,  which  being 
made  of  linen  signified  the  earth;  the  blue  color  de- 
noted the  sky,  being  like  lightning  in  its  pome- 
granate, and  in  the  noise  of  its  bells  resembling 
thunder.  The  ephod  showed  that  God  had  made  the 
universe  of  four  elements,  the  gold  relating  to  the 
splendor  by  which  all  things  are  enlightened,  the 
breast-plate  in  the  middle  of  the  ephod  resembled 
the  earth,  which  has  the  middle  place  in  the  world. 
The  girdle  signified  the  sea,  which  goes  around  the 
world.  The  sardonyxes  declared  the  sun  and  moon. 
The  twelve  stones  are  the  twelve  months  of  signs 
of  the  zodiac.  The  mitre  is  the  heaven,  because 
above  all.  The  seven  lamps  upon  the  golden  candle- 
sticks represent  the  seven  planets,  and  so  on  every 
article  had  a  reference  to  some  particle  of  the  Egyp- 
tian Deities.     But  the  time  came  when  man  under- 


64      CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

stood  better  God's  plan  of  salvation.  And  divinely 
inspired  they  fearlessly  stopped  all  these  idolatrous 
practises. 

Who  could  dare  say,  at  the  beginning  of  the  six- 
teenth century  that  God  could  only  through  Jesus 
Christ  save  a  soul  without  the  necessity  of  a  priest? 
Yet  today  even  the  priest  himself  would  not  dare 
say,  not  in  a  civilized  community,  that  his  presence  is 
necessary  for  the  forgiveness  of  sin.  But  what  of  the 
millions  of  people  that  are  drifting  away  from  God 
with  the  idea,  that  the  priest  is  taking  care  of  their 
souls?  Am  I  criticising  the  priest?  God  forbid,  for 
I  am  not.  There  are  good  and  bad  priests,  as  far  as 
their  personal  character  is  concerned,  as  there  are 
good  and  bad  professional  Christians,  I  have  met  in 
my  Christian  experience.  But  I  will  say,  in  the 
authority  of  the  word  of  God,  that  the  man  who  dili- 
gently searcheth  the  Scriptures  and  sincerely  read  his 
Bible  and  still  he  insists  in  holding  his  sacerdotal 
office  and  call  himself  a  priest,  he  is  deceived  or  he  is 
deceiving. 

"Thou  art  a  priest  for  ever  after  the  order  of 
Melchizedec.**  Christ  is  the  only  priest,  holy,  harm- 
less, undefiled,  separate  from  sinners,  and  made 
higher  than  the  heavens,  who  needeth  not  daily,  as 
those  high  priests,  to  oifer  up  sacrifice,  first  for  his 
own  sins,  and  then  for  the  people's;  for  this  he  did 
once,  when  he  offered  up  himself. 

The  Church  makes  men  high  priests  which  have 
infirmity  but  the  power  of  God  makes  every  man  a 
high  priest,  who  offers  up  himself  to  live  and  work 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  65 

for  the  salvation  of  all.  "Whosoever  believeth  in  Him 
should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life."  God's 
promises  are  true  and  the  reader  has  only  to  study 
the  Epistle  of  Paul  to  the  Hebrews,  to  be  convinced 
that  the  sacerdotal  office  of  the  priest  sooner  or  later 
has  to  go  out  of  existence  as  the  spirit  of  Christ 
spreads  upon  the  hearts  of  men  and  women  and  the 
knowledge  of  His  salvation  makes  them  "Priests 
unto  God  and  His  Father"  and  thus  establish  God's 
kingdom  upon  the  solid  foundations  of  love.  Then 
shall  they  all  be  made  unto  kings  and  priests,  and 
they  shall  reign  upon  the  earth.     (Rev.  1-6,  etc.) 


CHAPTER  V 

Philosophy  vs.  Christianity 

IN  Plato's  dialogue  upon  the  duties  of  religious 
worship,  a  passage  occurs  the  design  of  which 
appears  to  be  to  show  that  man  could  not,  of  him- 
self, learn  either  the  nature  of  the  Gods,  or  the 
proper  manner  of  worshiping  them,  unless  an  in- 
structor should  come  from  Heaven.  The  following 
remarkable  passage  occurs  between  Socrates  and 
Alcibiades : 

Socrates — "To  me  it  appears  best  to  be  patient. 
It  is  necessary  to  wait  till  you  learn  how  you  ought 
to  act  towards  the  Gods,  and  towards  men." 

Alcibiades — "When,  O  Socrates,  shall  that  time 
be?  And  who  shall  instruct  me?  For  most  willingly 
would  I  see  this  person,  who  he  is." 

Socrates — "He  is  one  who  cares  for  you;  but,  as 
Homer  represents  Minerva  as  taking  away  darkness 
from  the  eyes  of  Diomedes ;  that  he  might  distinguish 
a  God  from  a  man,  so  it  is  necessary  that  he  should 
first  take  away  the  darkness  from  your  mind,  and 
then  bring  near  those  things  by  which  you  shall  know 
good  and  evil." 

Alcibiades — "Let  him  take  away  the  darkness,  or 
any  other  thing,  if  he  will;  for  whoever  this  man  is, 
I  am  prepared  to  refuse  none  of  the  things  which  he 
commands,  if  I  shall  be  made  better." 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  67 

Philosophy,  led  the  Greeks  to  Christ,  as  the  Law 
did  the  Jewish.  The  wisdom  of  the  world  in  their 
efforts  to  give  truth  and  happiness  to  the  human  soul, 
was  foolishness  with  God,  and  the  wisdom  of  God — 
Christ  crucified — was  foolishness  with  the  philoso- 
phers, in  relation  to  the  same  subject;  yet  it  was 
divine  Philosophy.  An  adopted  means,  and  the  only 
adequate  means,  to  accomplish  the  necessary  end. 
Said  an  apostle  in  speaking  upon  this  subject,  the 
Jews  require  a  sign,  and  the  Greeks  seek  after  wis- 
dom; but  we  preach  Christ  Crucified,  unto  the  Jews 
a  stumbling-block  and  unto  the  Greeks  foolishness. 
But  unto  them  which  are  called,  both  Jews  and 
Greeks,  Christ  the  Power  of  God,  and  the  wisdom 
of  God.  The  Jews,  while  they  require  a  sign,  did 
not  perceive  that  miracles,  in  themselves,  were  not 
adopted  to  produce  affection.  And  the  Greeks, 
while  they  sought  after  wisdom,  did  not  perceive 
that  all  the  wisdom  of  the  Gentiles,  would  never 
work  love  in  the  heart.  But  the  apostle  preached — 
Christ  crucified — an  exhibition  of  self-denial,  of 
suffering,  and  of  self-sacrificing;  love  and  mercy,  en- 
dured in  behalf  of  men,  which,  when  received  by 
faith,  became  "The  power  of  God,  and  the  wisdom 
of  God,"  to  produce  love  and  obedience  in  the 
human  soul.  Paul  understood  the  efficacy  of  the 
Cross.  He  looked  to  Calvary  and  beheld  Christ 
crucified  as  the  Sun  of  the  Gospel  system.  Not,  as 
the  Moon,  reflecting  cold  and  borrowed  rays;  but  as 
the  Sun  of  righteousness,  glowing  with  radiant  mercy, 
and  pouring  warm  beams  of  life  and  love  into  the 
open  bosom  of  the  believer. 


68      CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

It  is  stranger  that  among  philosophers  of  succeed- 
ing ages  there  has  not  been  wisdom  sufficient  to  dis- 
cover, from  the  constitutional  necessities  of  the 
human  spirit,  that  demand  for  the  instruction  and 
aid  of  the  Messiah  which  Socrates  and  Plato  dis- 
covered, even  in  a  comparatively  dark  age.  And  in 
the  whole  history  of  human  mind  there  is  not  a 
more  instructive  chapter  at  once  stranger  and  sad, 
interesting  to  our  curiosity  and  mortifying  to  our 
pride,  than  the  history  of  Platonic  philosophy  sink- 
ing into  gnosticism,  or  in  other  words,  of  Greek  phi- 
losophy merging  in  Oriental  Mysticism;  showing,  on 
the  one  hand  the  decline  and  fall  of  philosophy,  and, 
on  the  other,  the  rise  and  progress  of  Syncretism. 
Perhaps,  also,  it  is  the  most  remarkable  instance  on 
record,  that  out  of  the  religious,  moral,  and  political, 
in  one  word,  the  intellectual  corruption  which  brings 
on  the  fall  of  great  and  mighty  nations,  as  it 
doubtless  was  with  Babylon  and  Thebes,  and  so  we 
know  it  to  have  been  with  Athens  and  Rome,  God's 
providence  educes  pure  principles  and  higher  hopes 
for  the  nations  and  people  that  rise  out  of  their  ashes, 
and  who,  if  they  will  be  taught  wisdom  and  principle, 
righteousness  and  peace,  by  the  errors  and  suffer- 
ings of  those  \yho  have  preceded  them,  may  rise  to 
higher  destinies  in  the  history  of  men's  conduct  and 
God's  providence. 

The  reader  most  sincerely  is  asked  to  devote  the 
required  time  in  any  public  library  and  study  this 
very  interesting  subject  of  "Gnosticism"  from  which 
the  most  detrimental  system  in  the  Christian  era  was 


l.Kll.   Pkinck  Ahtiiuk,  Duke  of  Connait.ht  asu  Stkathkakn,  K.  d.,  tic 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  69 

originated,  "The  Monasticism."  In  this  ecclesiastical 
order  the  writer  had  been  distinguished  with  the  rank 
of  "Archimandrites/* 

To  what  extent  the  celibacy  of  monks  and  nuns 
debased  the  fundamental  principles  of  Christianity 
there  are  a  number  of  publications  whose  authors  are 
eye-witnesses  of  the  orgies  practised  in  their  own 
monasteries,  and  the  writer  in  his  superior  office  in 
two  of  the  leading  monasteries  had  had  the  oppor- 
tunity to  acquire  all  the  necessary  evidence  to  de- 
molish every  one  of  these  hell-pits,  to  many  a  young 
man  and  young  woman  innocent,  otherwise,  before 
entering  there,  and  drive  away  all  these  parasites 
that  have  no  consideration  to  any  civil  or  moral  law 
and  live  upon  the  sweat  of  the  brow  of  the  long- 
suffering  Church  slaves. 

Within  the  bounds  of  philosophy,  at  this  stage 
of  our  progress  it  will  be  useful  to  recapitulate  the 
conclusions  at  which  we  have  arrived,  and  thus  make 
a  point  of  rest  from  which  to  extend  our  observa- 
tions further  into  the  plan  of  God  for  redeeming 
the  world,  for  "I  am  not  sent  but  unto  the  lost 
sheep  of  the  House  of  Israel."  This  view  is  the 
more  appropriate  as  we  have  known  in  the  history 
of  God's  providence  with  Israel,  which  presents  them 
as  a  people  prepared  (so  far  as  imperfect  material 
could  be  prepared)  to  receive  the  model  which  God 
might  desire  to  impress  upon  the  nation.  They  were 
bound  to  each  other  by  all  the  ties  of  which  human 
nature  is  susceptible,  and  thus  rendered  compact 
and  united,  so  that  every  thing  national,  whether  in 


70       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

sentiment  or  practise  would  be  received  and  cher- 
ished with  unanimous,  and  fervent,  and  lasting  at- 
tachment; and,  furthermore,  by  a  long  and  rigorous 
bondage,  they  had  been  rendered,  for  the  time  being 
at  least,  humble  and  dependant.  Thus  they  were  dis- 
ciplined by  a  curse  of  providence,  adopted  to  fit  them 
to  receive  instruction  from  their  Benefactor  with  a 
teachable  and  grateful  spirit. 

Their  minds  were  shaken  off  from  idols;  and 
Jehovah,  by  a  revelation  made  to  them,  setting  forth 
his  name  and  nature,  had  revealed  himself  as  Divine 
Being,  and  by  his  works  had  manifested  his  Almighty 
power:  so  that  when  their  minds  were  disabused  of 
wrong  views  of  the  Godhead,  an  idea  of  the  first, 
true,  and  essential  nature  of  God  was  revealed  to 
them,  and  they  were  thus  prepared  to  receive  a 
knowledge  of  the  attributes  of  that  Divine  essence. 

They  had  been  brought  to  contemplate  God  as 
their  protector  and  Saviour.  Appeals  the  most  af- 
fecting and  thrilling  had  been  addressed  to  their  af- 
fections ;  and  they  were  thus  attached  to  God  as  their 
Almighty  temporal  Saviour,  by  the  ties  of  gratitude 
and  love  for  the  favor  which  he  had  manifested  to 
them. 

When  they  had  arrived  on  the  further  shore  of 
the  Red  Sea,  thus  prepared  to  obey  God  and  worship 
him  with  the  heart,  they  were  without  laws  either 
civil  or  moral.  As  yet,  they  had  never  possessed  any 
national  or  social  organization.  They  were  therefore 
prepared  to  receive,  without  predilection  or  preju- 
dice, that  system  of  moral  instruction  and  civil  polity 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  71 

which  God  might  reveal,  as  best  adapted  to  promote 
the  moral  interests  of  the  nation. 

From  these  conclusions  we  may  extend  our  vision 
forward  into  the  system  of  revelation.  This  series  of 
preparations  would  certainly  lead  the  mind  to  the 
expectation  that  what  was  still  wanting,  and  what 
they  had  been  thus  miraculously  prepared  to  receive, 
would  be  granted:  which  was  a  knowledge  of  the 
moral  character  of  God,  and  a  moral  law  prescribing 
their  duty  to  God  and  to  men.  Without  this,  the 
plan  that  had  been  maturing  for  generations,  and 
had  been  carried  forward  thus  far  by  wonderful  ex- 
hibitions of  Divine  wisdom  and  power,  would  be  left 
unfinished,  just  at  the  point  where  the  finishing  proc- 
ess was  necessary. 

But  besides  the  strong  probability  which  the  pre- 
vious preparation  would  produce,  that  there  would 
be  a  revelation  of  moral  law,  there  are  distinct  and 
conclusive  reasons,  evincing  its  necessities. 

The  whole  experience  of  the  world  has  confirmed 
the  fact,  beyond  the  possibility  of  scepticism,  that 
men  cannot  discover  and  establish  a  perfect  rule  of 
human  duty.  Whatever  may  be  said  of  the  many 
excellent  maxims  expressed  by  different  individuals 
in  different  ages  and  nations,  yet  it  is  true  that  no 
system  of  duty  to  God  and  man,  in  any  wise  con- 
sistent with  enlightened  reason,  has  ever  been  estab- 
lished by  human  wisdom,  and  sustained  by  human 
sanctions;  and  for  many  reasons,  such  a  fact  never 
can  occur. 

But,  it  may  be  supposed  that  each  man  has,  within 


72       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

himself,  sufficient  light  from  reason,  and  sufficient 
admonition  from  conscience,  to  guide  himself,  as  an 
individual,  in  the  path  of  truth  and  happiness.  A 
single  fact  will  correct  such  a  supposition.  Con- 
science, the  great  arbiter  of  the  merit  and  demerit  of 
human  conduct,  has  little  intuitive  sense  of  right, 
and  is  not  guided  entirely  by  reason,  but  is  gov- 
erned in  a  great  measure  by  what  men  believe.  In- 
deed, faith  is  the  legitimate  regulator  of  the  con- 
science. If  a  man  has  correct  views  of  duty  to  Gk>d 
and  men,  he  will  have  a  correct  conscience ;  but  if  he 
can,  by  a  wrong  view  of  morals  and  of  the  character 
of  God,  be  induced  to  believe  that  theft,  or  murder, 
or  any  vice,  is  right,  his  conscience  will  be  corrupted 
by  his  faith.  When  men  are  brought  to  believe — as 
they  frequently  do  in  heathen  countries — that  it  is 
right  to  commit  suicide,  or  infanticide,  as  a  reli- 
gious duty,  their  conscience  condemns  them  if  they 
do  not  perform  the  act.  Thus  that  power  in  the 
soul  which  pronounces  upon  the  moral  character 
of  human  conduct,  is  itself  dependent  upon  and  regu- 
lated by  the  faith  of  the  individual.  It  is  apparent, 
therefore,  that  the  reception  and  belief  of  a  true  rule 
of  duty,  accompanied  with  proper  sanctions,  will 
alone  form  in  men  a  proper  conscience.  God  has 
so  constituted  the  soul  that  it  is  necessary,  in  order 
to  the  regulation  of  its  moral  powers,  that  it  should 
have  a  rule  of  duty,  revealed  under  the  sanction  of 
its  Maker's  authority;  otherwise  its  high  moral  pow- 
ers would  lie  in  dark  and  perpetual  disorder. 

Further,  unless  the  human  soul  be  an  exception, 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  73 

God  governs  all  things  by  laws  adopted  to  their 
proper  nature.  The  laws  which  govern  the  material 
world  are  sketched  in  the  books  on  natural  science; 
such  are  gravitation,  affinity,  mathematical  motion. 
Those  laws  by  which  the  irrational  animal  creations 
are  controlled  are  usually  called  instincts.  Their 
operation  and  design  are  sketched,  to  some  extent, 
in  treatises  upon  the  instincts  of  animals.  Such  is 
the  law  which  leads  the  beaver  to  build  its  dam,  and 
all  other  animals  to  pursue  some  particular  habits 
instead  of  others.  All  beavers,  from  the  first  one 
created  to  the  present  time,  have  been  instinctively 
led  to  build  a  dam  in  the  same  manner,  and  so 
their  instinct  will  lead  them  to  build  till  the  end  of 
time.  The  law  which  drives  them  to  the  act  is  as 
necessitating  as  the  law  which  causes  the  smoke  to 
rise  upwards.  Nothing  in  the  universe  of  God,  ani- 
mate or  inanimate,  is  left  without  the  government 
of  appropriate  law,  unless  that  thing  being  the 
noblest  creature  of  God:  the  human  spirit.  To  sup- 
pose, therefore,  that  the  human  soul  is  thus  left 
unguided  by  a  revealed  rule  of  conduct,  is  to  sup- 
pose that  God  cares  for  the  less  and  not  for  the 
greater:  to  suppose  that  He  would  constitute  the 
moral  powers  of  the  soul  so  that  a  law  was  neces- 
sary for  their  guidance,  and  then  revealed  none:  to 
suppose,  especially  in  the  case  of  the  Israelites,  that 
he  would  prepare  a  people  to  receive,  and  obey  with 
a  proper  spirit,  this  necessary  rule  of  duty,  and  yet 
give  no  rule.  But  to  suppose  these  things  would  be 
absurd;  it  follows,  therefore,  that  God  would  reveal 


74       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

to  the  Israelites  a  law   for  the  regulation  of  their 
conduct  in  morals  and  religion. 

But  physical  law  or  necessitating  instinct  would 
not  be  adapted  in  its  nature  to  the  government  of  a 
rational  and  moral  being.  The  obligation  of  either 
to  the  soul  would  destroy  its  free  agency.  God  has 
made  man  intelligent,  and  thereby  adapted  his  nature 
to  a  rule  which  he  understands.  Man  has  a  will  and 
a  conscience;  but  he  must  understand  the  rule  in 
order  to  will  obedience,  and  he  must  believe  the 
sanction  by  which  the  law  is  maintained  before  he 
can  feel  the  obligation  upon  his  conscience.  A  law, 
therefore,  adapted  to  man's  nature,  must  be  addressed 
to  the  understanding,  sanctioned  by  suitable  authority, 
and  enforced  by  adequate  penalties. 

In  accordance  with  these  legitimate  deductions, 
God  gave  the  Israelites  a  rule  of  life — the  moral 
law — succintly  comprehended  in  the  Ten  Command- 
ments. And  as  affectionate  obedience  is  the  only 
proper  obedience  he  coupled  the  facts  which  were 
fitted  to  produce  affection  with  the  command  to 
obey ;  saying,  "I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  which  brought 
thee  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  from  the  house 
of  bondage."  Therefore,  if  ye  love  the  Lord  ye  shall 
surely  keep  His  commandments. 

Further,  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God,  who,  in 
order  to  fulfil  the  law  gave  himself  a  ransom  for  the 
salvation  of  all  mankind,  made  the  plan  clearer  to 
"Whomsoever  beHeveth  on  Him?"  saying;  "This  is 
My  commandment,  that  ye  love  one  another,  as  I 
have  loved  you." 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  75 

Therefore,  John,  whom  history  acknowledges  as 
the  Socrates  of  the  Christian  philosophy  in  his  per- 
sonal knowledge  of  Divine  revelations,  was  glad  to 
testify  to  the  fact  that  "God  is  Love." 

And  now  with  my  whole  soul  lifted  up  to  God  I 
can  sing: 

My  heart  is  fixed,  eternal  God :  fixed  on  Thee, 

And  my  unchanging  choice  is  made,  Christ  for  me! 

He  is  my  Prophet,  Priest,  and  King,  who  did  for  me 

salvation   bring 
And  while  Tve  breath  I  mean  to  sing,  Christ  for  me. 


CHAPTER  VI 

God^s  Providence 

IN  facts  from  Christian  and  philosophical  stand- 
points it  has  been  demonstrated  that  the  in- 
fallible Supreme  Ruler  of  all  human  spirits  has  made 
His  final  provision  for  the  safety  of  each  and  every 
individual  soul  for  its  temporal  and  eternal  v^^elfare. 
Now  I  must  prove  to  my  readers'  perfect  satisfaction 
that  to  discard  all  the  dignities  and  privileges  of  a 
high  priest  and  become  a  lowly  worker  for  Christ,  it 
is  not  a  mere  accident  nor  is  it  an  act  of  necessity  as 
far  as  temporal  necessities  are  concerned;  but,  it  is 
a  magnificent  living  monument  of  God's  Providential 
manifestations.  In  order  to  protect  my  reader  in  his 
judgment  from  any  undue  prejudice  I  have  taken 
pains  to  present  herewith  all  the  obtainable  facts  in 
regard  to  God's  Providence  existing  and  exercising 
its  office  upon  even  to  the  most  microscopical  atom. 
Because,  it  is  required  by  the  law  of  justice,  to  com- 
prehend this  great  attribute  of  God's  Providence,  in 
order  to  understand,  how,  all  things  work  together 
for  good  to  them  that  love  God,  to  them  who  are 
the  called  according  to  His  purpose. 

The  Latin  etymology  of  the  word  Providence  is 
from  (Providentia,  Pro-videre),  and  originally  meant 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  ^y 

foresight.  The  corresponding  Greek  word  (Pronoia) 
means  forethought.  By  a  well-known  figure  of 
speech,  called  metonymy,  we  use  a  word  denoting 
the  means  by  which  we  accomplish  anything  to  de- 
note the  end  accomplished;  we  exercise  care  over 
anything  by  means  of  foresight,  and  indicate  that 
care  by  the  word  foresight.  On  the  same  principle 
the  word  Providence  is  used  to  signify  the  care  God 
takes  of  the  universe.  As  to  its  inherent  nature,  it 
is  the  power  which  God  exerts,  without  intermission, 
in  and  upon  all  the  works  of  his  hands.  In  the  lan- 
guage of  the  school-men  it  is  a  continual  creation 
(creation  continua).  But  defined  as  to  its  visible 
manifestations,  it  is  God's  preservation  and  govern- 
ment of  all  things.  As  a  thing  is  known  by  its  op- 
posites,  the  meaning  of  Providence  is  elucidated  by 
considering  that  it  is  opposed  to  fortune  and  fortui- 
tous accidents. 

Providence,  considered  in  reference  to  all  things 
existing,  is  termed  by  Knapp  universal;  in  reference 
to  moral  beings,  special;  and  in  reference  to  holy  or 
converted  beings,  particular.  Every  thing  is  an 
object  of  Providence  in  proportion  to  its  capacity. 
The  Disciples,  being  of  more  value  than  many  spar- 
rows, were  assured  of  greater  providential  care.  By 
Providence  being  universal  is  intended,  not  merely 
that  it  embraces  classes  of  objects  or  greater  matters, 
but  that  nothing  is  too  minute  or  insignificant  for 
its  inspection. 

Providence  is  usually  divided  in  three  divine 
acts,  Preservation,  Co-operation  and  Government,     i. 


78       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

By  preservation  is  signified  the  causing  of  existence 
to  continue.  2.  Co-operation  is  the  act  of  God  which 
causes  the  powers  of  created  things  to  remain  in 
being.  It  is  not  pretended  that  the  existence  of  the 
powers  of  the  things  are  ever  separated,  but  only 
that  they  are  distinguishable  in  mental  analysis.  Co- 
operation varies  with  the  nature  of  the  objects  to- 
wards which  it  is  exercised.  3.  Government,  as  a 
branch  of  Providence,  is  God's  controlling  all  created 
things  so  as  to  promote  the  highest  good  of  the 
whole.  To  this  end  every  species  of  being  is  acted 
upon  in  a  way  confirmable  to  its  nature ;  for  instance, 
inanimate  things  by  the  laws  of  physical  influence; 
brutes  according  to  the  laws  of  instinct;  and  free 
agents  according  to  the  laws  of  free  agency.  More- 
over, as  Providence  has  respect  to  the  nature  which 
God  has  been  pleased  to  design  to  each  various  ob- 
ject, so,  in  common  with  every  other  divine  act,  it  is 
characterized  by  divine  perfections.  It  displays  om- 
nipresence, omniscience,  omnipotence,  holiness,  jus- 
tice, and  benevolence.  It  has  been  sometimes  con- 
tended that  Providence  does  not  extend  to  all  things, 
or  to  unimportant  events,  and  chiefly  for  four  rea- 
sons. Such  an  all-embracing  providence,  it  is  said, 
would  (i)  be  distracting  to  the  mind  of  God;  or  (2) 
would  be  beneath  His  dignity;  or  (3)  would  interfere 
with  human  freedom;  or  (4)  would  render  God  un- 
just in  permitting  evil  to  exist.  In  reply  to  these 
objections  against  a  providence  controlling  all  things 
without  exception,  it  may  be  observed  that  the  third 
and  fourth  suggest  difficulties  which  press  equally,  in 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  79 

fact,  upon  all  hypothesis,  not  only  as  to  providence, 
but  as  to  creation,  and  which  shall  be  more  fully  ex- 
plained in  the  sequel. 

As  to  the  first  objection,  that  the  minutiae  of  the 
creation  are  so  multifarious  as  to  confuse  the  mind 
of  God,  we  are  content  to  let  it  refute  itself  in  every 
mind  which  has  any  just  sense  of  divine  knowledge 
and  wisdom.  The  second  objection,  that  some  things 
are  beneath  God's  notice,  if  it  be  not  a  captious  cavil, 
must  result  from  pushing  too  far  the  analogy  be- 
tween earthly  kings  and  the  King  of  kings.  It  is 
an  imperfection  in  human  potentates  that  they  need 
vicegerents;  let  us  not  then  attribute  such  a  weak- 
ness to  God,  fancying  him  altogether  such  a  one  as 
ourselves.  Again,  it  is  to  this  day  doubtful  whether 
the  microscope  does  not  display  the  divine  perfec- 
tions as  illustriously  as  the  telescope;  there  is  there- 
fore no  reason  to  deny  a  providence  over  animalcula 
which  we  admit  over  the  constellated  heavens.  What 
is  it  that  we  dare  call  insignificant?  The  least  of  all 
things  may  be  as  a  seed  cast  in  to  the  seed-field  of 
time,  to  grow  there  and  bear  fruit,  which  shall  be 
multiplying  when  time  shall  be  no  more.  We  can- 
not always  trace  the  connections  of  things.  We  do 
not  ponder  those  we  can  trace:  or  we  should  trem- 
ble to  call  anything  beneath  the  notice  of  God.  It 
has  been  eloquently  said  that  where  we  see  a  trifle 
hovering  unconnected  in  space,  higher  spirit  can 
discern  its  fibres  stretching  through  the  whole  ex- 
panse of  the  system  of  the  world,  and  hanging  on 
the  remotest  limits  of  the  future  and  the  past. 


8o      CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

In  reference  to  the  third  and  fourth  objections 
before  mentioned,  namely,  that  an  all-embracing 
providence  is  incompatible  with  divine  justice  and 
human  freedom,  it  should  be  considered  that,  in  con- 
templating God's  Providence,  the  question  will  often 
arise,  why  was  mortal  evil  allowed  to  exist?  But  as 
these  questions  meet  us  at  every  turn,  and,  under 
different  forms,  may  be  termed  the  one  and  the 
only  difficulty  in  theology,  it  is  already  considered  in 
the  previous  chapter  of  this  work,  and  may  therefore 
require  the  less  notice  in  the  present  article.  We 
should  in  all  humility  preface  whatever  we  say  on 
the  permission  of  evil  (such  as,  mysticism,  in  reli- 
gious bodies)  with  a  confession  that  it  is  an  inscru- 
table mystery,  which  our  faith  receives,  but  which  our 
reason  could  not  prove  either  to  be  or  not  to  be 
demanded  by  the  perfection  of  God.  But,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  vindication  of  God's  ways  which  may 
be  found  in  the  over-ruling  of  evil  for  good,  the 
following  theories  deserve  notice: — 

1.  Occasionalism,  or  the  doctrine  that  God  is  the 
immediate  cause  of  all  men's  actions.  It  is  so  called, 
because  it  maintains  that  men  only  furnish  God  an 
occasion  for  what  he  does.  It  degrades  all  second 
causes  to  mere  occasions,  and  turns  men  into  passive 
instruments. 

2.  Mechanism.  Many,  alarmed  at  the  conse- 
quences which  occasionalism  would  seem  to  involve, 
have  embraced  an  opposite  scheme.  They  criticise 
the  definition  of  the  laws  of  nature,  and  contend 
that   occasionalism  derives  all  its  plausibility    from 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  8i 

adroitly  availing  itself  of  the  ambiguities  of  lan- 
guage. They  would  have  us  view  the  creation  as  a 
species  of  clock,  or  other  machinery,  which,  being 
once  made  and  wound  up,  will  for  a  time  perform 
its  movements  without  the  assistance  or  even  presence 
of  its  maker.  But  reasons  press  too  far  the  analogy 
betwen  the  Creator  and  an  artisan.  So  excellent 
a  man  as  Baxter  was  misled  by  this  hypothesis, 
which  evidently  is  as  derogatory  to  God  as  oc- 
casionalism is  fatal  to  the  moral  agency  of  man. 

3.  The  authors  of  the  third  scheme  respecting 
the  mode  in  which  Providence  permits  sin  sought  to 
be  "Eclectics"  or  to  find  a  path  intermediate  between 
Mechanism  and  Occasionalism.  In  their  judgment, 
man  is  actuated  by  God,  and  yet  is  at  the  same  time 
active  himself.  God  gives  man  the  power  of  action, 
and  preserves  these  powers  every  moment,  but  he 
is  not  the  efficient  cause  of  free  actions  themselves. 
This  they  say,  is  involved  in  the  very  idea  of  a  moral 
being,  which  would  cease  to  be  moral  if  it  were  sub- 
jected to  the  control  of  necessity,  and  not  suffered 
to  choose  and  to  do  what  it  saw  to  be  the  best 
according  to  the  laws  of  freedom.  But  it  is  asked, 
why  did  God  create  men  free,  and  therefore  fallible? 
It  were  presumption  to  think  of  answering  this  ques- 
tion adequately.  It  belongs  to  the  deep  things  of 
God.  But,  among  the  possible  reasons,  we  may 
mention,  that  if  no  fallible  beings  had  been  created, 
there  could  have  been  no  virtue  in  the  universe;  for 
virtue  implies  probation,  and  probation  a  liability 
to  temptation  and  sin.     Again,  if  some  beings  had 


82       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

not  become  sinful,  the  most  glorious  attributes  of 
God  would  never  have  been  so  fully  exerted  and 
displayed.  How  could  His  wisdom  and  mercy  and 
grace  have  been  adequately  manifested,  except  by 
suffering  a  portion  of  His  creatures  to  become  such 
as  to  demand  the  exercise  of  those  attributes?  How 
else  could  He  have  wrought  the  miracle  of  educing 
good  from  evil?  In  this  connection  we  may  allude 
to  the  third  chapter  of  Romans,  where  as  in  other 
passages,  it  is  declared,  that  the  good  which  evil 
may  be  over-ruled  to  produce,  cannot  palliate,  much 
less  excuse,  the  guilt  of  sinners,  or  of  those  who  say, 
*'Let  us  do  evil  that  good  may  come." 

Among  the  proofs  of  Divine  Providence  may  be 
reckoned  the  following: — i.  One  argument  in  proof 
of  Providence  is  analogous  to  one  mode  of  proving 
a  creation.  If  we  cannot  account  for  the  existence 
of  the  world  without  supposing  its  coming  into  exist- 
ence, or  beginning  to  be;  no  more  can  we  account 
for  the  world  continuing  to  exist,  without  supposing 
it  to  be  preserved;  for  it  is  as  evidently  absurd  to 
suppose  any  creature  prolonging  as  producing  its  own 
being.  A  second  proof  of  Providence  results  from 
the  admitted  fact  of  creation.  Whoever  has  made 
any  piece  of  mechanism,  therefore  takes  pains  to 
preserve  it. 

Parental  affection  moves  those  who  have  given 
birth  to  children  to  provide  for  their  sustenation  and 
education.  It  is  both  reasonable  and  scriptural  to 
contemplate  God  as  sustaining  the  universe  because 
He  made  it.     Thus  David,  having  promised  that  the 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  83 

world  was  made  by  God,  immediately  descends  to 
the  course  of  his  Providence.  (Ps.  xxiii.  6.)  The 
creation  also  evinces  a  Providence  by  proving  God's 
right  to  rule,  on  the  admitted  principle  that  every  one 
may  do  what  he  will  with  his  own. 

A  third  proof  of  Providence  is  found  in  the  divine 
perfections.  Since,  among  the  divine  perfections,  are 
all  power  and  all  knowledge,  the  non-existence  of 
Providence,  if  there  be  none,  must  result  from  a 
want  of  will  in  God.  But  no  want  of  will  to  exercise 
a  Providence  can  exist,  for  God  wills  whatever  is 
for  the  good  of  the  universe,  and  for  His  own  glory ; 
to  either  of  which  a  Providence  is  clearly  indispen- 
sable. God  therefore  has  resolved  to  exercise  His 
power  and  knowledge  so  as  to  subserve  the  best 
ends  with  His  creation.  *'He  that  denies  Providence," 
says  Charnock,  ''denies  most  of  God's  attributes;  he 
denies  at  least  the  exercise  of  them;  he  denies  his 
omniscience,  which  is  the  eye  of  Providence;  mercy 
and  justice,  which  are  the  arms  of  it;  power,  which 
is  its  life  and  motion;  wisdom,  which  is  the  rudder 
whereby  Providence  is  steered;  and  holiness,  which 
is  the  compass  and  rule  of  each  motion."  This  ar- 
gument for  a  Providence  might  be  made  much  more 
impressive,  did  our  limits  allow  us  to  expand  it,  so 
as  to  show,  step  by  step  how  almost  every  attribute, 
if  not  directly,  yet  by  implication,  demands  that  God 
put  forth  an  unceasing  sovereignty  over  all  His 
works. 

A   fourth  proof  of   God's   Providence  appears   in 
the  order  which  prevails  in  the  universe.     We  say 


84       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

the  order  which  prevails,  aware  of  the  occasional 
apparent  disorder  that  exists,  which  we  have  already 
noticed,  and  shall  soon  treat  of  again.  That  summer 
and  winter,  seed  time  and  harvest,  cold  and  heat,  day 
and  night,  are  fixed  by  law,  was  obvious  even  to 
man  who  never  heard  of  God's  covenant  with  Noah. 
Accordingly  the  ancient  Greeks  designated  the  cre- 
ation by  a  word  which  means  order  (cosmos).  But 
our  sense  of  order  is  keenest  where  we  discern  it 
in  apparent  confusion.  The  motions  of  the  heavenly 
bodies  are  eccentric  and  intervolved,  yet  are  most 
regular  when  they  seem  most  lawless.  They  were 
therefore  compared  by  the  earliest  astronomers  to 
the  discords  which  blend  in  a  harmony,  and  to  the 
wild  starts  which  often  heighten  the  graces  of  a 
dance.  Modern  astronomy  has  revealed  to  us  so 
much  miraculous  symmetry  in  celestial  phenomena, 
that  it  shows  us  far  more  decisive  proofs  of  a  Ruler 
seated  on  the  circles  of  the  heavens,  than  were 
vouchsafed  to  the  ancients.  Moreover,  many  discover 
proofs  of  a  Providence  in  such  facts  as  the  propor- 
tion between  the  two  sexes,  the  diversities  of  the 
continents,  as  well  as  human  nature  and  the  nature 
of  all  things  continuing  always  the  same;  since  such 
facts  show  that  all  things  are  controlled  by  an  un- 
changing power. 

An  objection  to  proofs  of  Providence,  derived 
from  the  order  of  the  universe,  is  thought  to  spring 
from  the  seeming  disorders  to  which  we  cannot  shut 
our  eyes.  Much  is  said  of  plagues  and  earthquakes, 
of  drought,  flood,  frost  and  famine,  with  a  thousand 


Rev.  M.  Golden 
The  High  Priest  in  Church  Ceremonial  Attire 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  85 

more  natural  evils.  But  it  deserves  consideration 
whether,  if  there  were  no  Providence,  these  anom- 
alies would  not  be  the  rule  instead  of  the  exception; 
whether  they  do  not  feelingly  persuade  us  that  that 
curse  of  nature  is  upheld  by  a  power  above  nature, 
and  without  which  it  would  fall  to  nothing;  whether 
they  may  not  be  otherwise  necessary  for  more 
important  ends  than  fall  within  the  scope  of  our 
knowledge. 

A  fifth  proof  of  Providence  is  furnished  by  the 
fact  that  so  many  men  are  here  rewarded  and  pun- 
ished according  to  a  righteous  law.  The  wicked  often 
feel  compunctious  visitings  in  the  midst  of  their  sins, 
or  smart  under  the  rod  of  civil  justice,  or  are  tor- 
tured with  natural  evils.  With  righteous  all  things 
are  in  general  reversed.  The  miser  and  envious  are 
punished  as  soon  as  they  begin  to  commit  their  re- 
spective sins;  and  some  virtues  are  their  own  present 
reward.  But  we  would  not  dissemble  that  we  are 
here  met  with  important  objections,  although  in- 
finitely less,  even  though  they  were  unanswerable, 
than  beset  such  as  would  reject  the  doctrine  of 
Providence. 

It  is  said,  and  we  grant,  that  the  righteous  are 
trodden  under  foot,  and  the  vilest  men  exalted;  that 
the  race  is  not  to  the  swift,  nor  the  battle  to  the 
strong;  that  virtue  starves,  while  vice  is  fed,  and  that 
schemes  for  doing  good  are  frustrated,  while  evil 
plots  succeed.    But  we  may  reply : 

I.  The  prosperity  of  the  wicked  is  often  appar- 
ent, and  well  styled  a  shining  misery.     Who  believes 


86       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

that    Nero    enthroned    was    happier    than    Paul    in 
chains  ? 

2.  We  are  often  mistaken  in  calHng  such  or  such 
an  afflicted  man  good,  and  such  or  such  a  prosperous 
man  bad. 

3.  The  miseries  of  good  men  are  generally  oc- 
casioned by  their  own  faults,  since  they  have  been 
so  fool-hardy  as  to  run  counter  to  the  laws  by  which 
God  acts,  or  have  aimed  at  certain  ends  while  neg- 
lecting the  appropriate  means. 

4.  Many  virtues  are  proved  and  augmented  by 
trials,  and  not  only  proved,  but  produced,  so  that 
they  would  have  had  no  existence  without  them. 
Many  a  David's  noblest  qualities  would  never  have 
been  developed  but  for  the  impious  attempts  of 
Saul.  Job's  integrity  was  not  only  tested  but 
strengthened  by  Satan  being  permitted  to  sift  him 
as  wheat.  Passions,  experience  and  hope  were 
brought  as  ministering  angels  to  man,  of  whom  the 
world  was  not  worthy,  through  trials  of  cruel  mock- 
ings  and  scourgings. 

5.  The  unequal  distribution  of  good  and  evil,  so 
far  as  it  exists,  carries  our  thoughts  forward  to  the 
last  judgment,  and  a  retribution  according  to  the 
deeds  done  in  the  body,  and  can  hardly  fail  of  throw- 
ing round  the  idea  of  eternity  a  stronger  air  of  real- 
ity than  it  might  otherwise  have  done.  All  perplex- 
ities vanish  as  we  reflect  that,  "He  cometh  to  judge 
the  earth." 

6.  Even  if  we  limit  our  views  to  this  world,  but 
extend  them  to  all  our  acquaintances,  we  cannot  doubt 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  87 

that  the  tendencies,  though  not  always  the  effects,  of 
vice  are  to  misery,  and  those  of  virtue  to  happiness. 
These  tendencies  are  especially  clear  if  our  view  em- 
braces a  whole  life-time,  and  the  clearer  the  longer 
the  period  we  embrace.  The  Psalmist  was  at  first 
envious  at  the  foolish,  when  he  saw  the  prosperity  of 
the  wicked;  but  as  his  views  became  more  compre- 
hensive, and  he  understood  their  end,  his  language 
was,  "How  are  they  brought  into  desolation  as  in  a 
moment;  they  are  utterly  consumed  with  terrors." 
The  progressive  tendency  of  vice  and  virtue  to  reap 
each  its  appropriate  harvest  is  finally  illustrated  by 
Bishop  Butler,  best  of  all  perhaps  in  his  picture  of 
an  imaginary  kingdom  of  the  good,  which  would 
peacefully  subvert  all  others,  and  fill  the  earth.  In- 
deed, as  soon  as  we  leave  what  is  immediately  before 
our  eyes,  and  glance  at  the  annals  of  the  world,  we 
behold  so  many  manifestations  of  God,  that  we  may 
adduce  as  a  sixth  proof  of  Providence  the  facts  of 
history.  The  giving  and  transmission  of  a  revelation, 
as  the  Mosaic  and  the  Christian — ^the  raising  up  of 
Prophets,  Apostles  and  Defenders  of  the  Faith — 
the  ordination  of  particular  events,  such  as  the  Refor- 
mation— the  more  remarkable  deliverance  noticed 
in  the  lives  of  those  devoted  to  the  good  of  the 
world,  etc.,  all  indicate  the  wise  and  benevolent  care 
of  God  over  the  human  family.  But  the  historical 
proof  of  a  Providence  is  perhaps  strongest  where  the 
wrath  of  man  has  been  made  to  praise  God,  or 
where  efforts  to  dishonor  God  have  been  constrained 
to  do  him  honor.     Testimony  in  favor  of  piety  has 


88      CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

fallen  from  the  impious,  and  has  had  a  double  vol- 
ume, as  coming  from  the  unwilling.  They  who 
have  fought  against  the  truth  have  been  used  by 
God  as  instruments  of  spreading  the  knowledge  of 
it,  awakening  an  interest  in  it,  or  stimulating  Chris- 
tians to  purify  it  from  human  additions,  and  to  ex- 
hibit its  power.  The  scientific  researches  also  with 
which  infidels  have  wearied  themselves  to  overthrow 
a  revelation  have  proved  at  last  fatal  to  their  daring 
scepticisms.  Too  many  histories,  like  Gibbons',  have 
been  written  as  if  there  were  no  God  in  the  heav- 
ens, swaying  the  sceptre  of  the  earth.  But  a  better 
day  is  approaching;  and  it  is  exhilarating  to  observe 
that  Alison,  the  first  British  historian  of  the  age, 
writes  in  the  spirit  which  breathes  in  the  historical 
books  of  the  Bible,  where  the  free  actions  of  man 
are  represented  as  inseparably  connected  with  the 
agency  of  God.  If  we  may  judge  of  the  future  by 
the  past,  as  the  scroll  of  time  unrolls,  we,  or  our 
posterity,  and  some  think  glorified  spirits  in  a  yet 
higher  degree,  shall  see  more  and  more  plainly  the 
hand  of  God  operating,  till  every  knee  shall  bow. 
Judgments,  now  a  great  deep,  shall  become  as  the 
light  that  goeth  forth.  The  tides  of  ambition  and 
avarice  will  all  be  seen  to  roll  in  subserviency  to  the 
designs  of  God.  To  borrow  the  illustration  of  an- 
other, "we  shall  behold  the  bow  of  God  encircling 
the  darkest  storms  of  wickedness,  and  forcing  them 
to  manifest  His  glory  to  the  universe." 

As  a  seventh  ground  for  believing  in  Providence, 
it  may  be  said  that  Providence  is  the  necessary  basis 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  89 

of  all  religion.  For  what  is  religion?  One  of  the 
best  definitions  calls  it  the  belief  in  a  super-human 
power,  which  has  great  influence  in  the  human  af- 
fairs, and  ought  therefore  to  be  worshiped.  But 
take  away  this  influence  in  the  human  aifairs,  and 
you  cut  off  all  motive  to  worship.  To  the  same  pur- 
pose is  the  text  in  Hebrews:  "He  that  cometh  to 
God  must  believe  that  He  is,  and  He  is  a  rewarder 
of  such  as  diligently  seek  Him."  If  then  the  reli- 
gious sentiments  thrill  us  not  in  vain — if  all  at- 
tempts of  all  men  to  commune  with  God  have  not 
always  and  everywhere  been  idle — there  must  be  a 
Providence. 

In  the  eighth  place,  we  may  advert  for  a  moment 
to  the  proof  of  Providence  from  the  common  con- 
sent of  mankind,  with  the  single  exception  of  athe- 
ists. The  Epicureans  may  be  classed  with  atheists, 
as  they  are  generally  thought  to  have  been  atheists 
in  discourse,  and  a  God  after  their  imaginations 
would  be,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  no  God.  The 
Stoics  were  also  atheists,  believing  only  in  a  blind 
fate  arising  from  a  perpetual  concatenation  of  causes 
contained  in  nature.  The  passages  acknowledging  a 
Providence  in  Cicero,  Seneca,  Plutarch,  and  all  the 
ancient  moralists,  are  numerous  and  decisive,  but  too 
accessible  or  well-known  to  need  being  quoted. 

In  the  last  place,  the  doctrine  of  Providence  is 
abundantly  proved  by  the  Scriptures.  Some  times  it 
is  declared  that  the  Most  High  ruleth  in  the  kingdom 
of  men,  and  giveth  it  to  whomsoever  He  will;  as 
much   as   to   say    that   nothing   can    withstand    His 


90       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

power.  Again,  lest  we  may  think  some  things  be- 
neath His  notice,  we  read  that  He  numbereth  the 
hairs  of  our  heads,  careth  for  lilies,  and  disposeth  all 
the  lots  which  are  cast.  The  care  of  God  for  man 
is  generally  argued,  a  fortiori,  from  His  care  for 
inferior  creatures.  One  Psalm  (xci)  is  devoted  to 
show  the  providential  security  of  the  Godly:  another 
(xciii)  shows  the  frailty  of  man;  and  a  third  (civ) 
the  dependence  of  all  orders  in  creation  on  God's 
Providence  for  food  and  breath.  In  Him,  it  is  else- 
where added,  we  live,  and  move,  and  have  our 
being.  He,  in  the  person  of  Christ,  sustaineth  all 
things  by  the  Word  of  His  power,  and  from  Him 
cometh  down  every  good  and  perfect  gift.  But 
nowhere  perhaps  is  a  Providence  so  pointedly  as- 
serted and  so  sublimely  set  forth  as  in  some  of  the 
last  chapters  of  Job;  and  nowhere  so  variously,  win- 
ningly,  and  admirably  exhibited  as  in  the  history  of 
Joseph. 

And  nowhere  could  be  found  more  brilliantly 
illuminating  its  substance  than  in  our  own  hearts  and 
lives.  The  fool  hath  said  in  his  heart,  there  is  no 
God.  To  undervalue  God's  Providence  it  is  the 
most  dreadful  insult  that  a  fool  could  dare  conceive 
in  his  mind  against  God's  existence.  But  the  wise 
hearken  to  His  voice. 

My  son,  if  thou  wilt  receive  my  words, 
And  hide  my  commandments  with  thee; 
So  that  thou  incline  thine  ear  to  wisdom. 
And  apply  thy  heart  to  understanding; 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  91 

Yea,  if  thou  criest  after  knowledge, 

And  liftest  up  thy  voice  for  understanding; 

If  thou  seekest  her  as  silver. 

And  searchest  for  her  as  for  hid  treasures; 

Then  shalt  thou  understand  the  fear  of  the  Lord, 

And  find  the  knowledge  of  God. 


CHAPTER  VII 

New  York  to  California 

WHEN  I  was  but  a  little  boy,  I  can  well  recol- 
lect, a  nice  little  pond  in  the  hollow  of  two 
hills  beautifully  situated,  near  the  school  house 
where  the  pupils  would  enjoy  the  intervals  of  their 
school  time.  How  I  would  wonder  at  the  experi- 
ment of  throwing  a  stone  in  the  pond  and  watching 
anxiously  the  circles  of  water  growing  larger  and 
larger  till  reaching  the  banks  of  the  pond  and  there 
they  would  break,  as  though  in  despair  for  the 
limitations  of  their  enlarging  tendencies.  It  seems 
to  me,  now,  a  parallel  despair  threatens  my  heart, 
for  being  obliged  to  compact  this  story  of  my  con- 
version. Yet,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  American 
reader  is  a  greater  admirer  of  quality  rather  than 
quantity,  I  must  content  myself  by  giving  a  brief 
account  on  the  practical  side  of  my  personal  ex- 
perience as  a  Christian  worker,  among  the  rich  and 
the  poor,  the  high  and  the  low  classes  and  masses, 
in  cities  and  towns,  sunshine  or  clouds,  rain  or  snow, 
by  day  or  by  night;  I  made  myself  servant  unto  all 
men,  that  I  might  by  all  means  save  some,  and  this 
I  do  for  the  Gospel's  sake.  And,  it  is  only  proper, 
to  confess,  publicly,  that  I  am  prepared  to  suffer 
all  things,  for  the  love  which  I  feel  in  my  heart  to  be 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  93 

of  some  service  to  my  own  people,  an  historical  race 
of  people  they  are,  drifting  away  from  God,  blindly 
allowing  blind  priests  to  lead  them  into  the  ditch. 
There  is  a  cheering  prospect  about  this  people,  for 
whose  salvation  I  have  devoted  my  life,  that  when 
Christ  enters  into  the  heart  of  a  Greek,  there  is  very 
little  hope  left  for  the  devil  to  induce  him  to  be  a 
backslider.  A  truly  converted  Greek  soul  is  worthy 
of  all  the  joy  that  the  angels  in  heaven  rejoice  over 
one  sinner  that  repenteth.  How  much  more  rejoicing 
shall  be  there,  if  we  get  converted  all  the  Greeks 
that  are  living  in  the  United  States  and  use  them  as  a 
kindling  matter  to  start  the  fire  of  salvation  in  the 
hearts  of  the  millions  of  people  under  the  Greek  and 
Russian  church  slavery,  all  round  the  Mediterranean 
countries  ? 

With  this  and  many  other  social  and  industrial 
problems  laying  upon  my  heart,  I  find  the  atmos- 
phere, in  New  York,  too  close  for  any  opening  and 
very  little  encouragement  for  a  beginning.  And  the 
atmosphere  grew  more  asphyxiating  every  day  with 
the  arguments  of  my  friend  George  N.  He  never 
had  any  sympathy  with  the  subject  so  dear  to  my 
own  heart,  his  highest  ambition  being  money-making, 
for  which  end  he  relinquished  the  Presbyterian 
pulpit,  after  being  duly  graduated  from  a  Presby- 
terian Seminary  for  ministerial  ordination.  It  was 
only  natural  that  our  thoughts  and  our  ambitions 
should  face  each  other  suspiciously  from  the  diamet- 
rical opposite  ends.  And  with  all  due  respect  to 
my  old  teacher  and  gratefully  acknowledging  his  hos- 


94       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

pitality  for  entertaining  me  many  a  day,  I  find  out 
that  at  the  best  I  had  to  be  in  his  mercy,  as  long  as  I 
was  not  able  to  explain  myself,  to  the  American  peo- 
ple, speaking  in  their  own  language.  And,  as  diffi- 
culties have  always  had  a  peculiar  effect  upon  my 
personal  character;  to  face  them,  and  fight  them  out 
with  one  object  in  view  to  die  or  to  win,  I  left  New 
York  right  after  Christmas  of  1903,  in  the  midst  of 
an  unusually  severe  winter,  rather  a  wanderer;  but 
determined  to  ramble  among  the  American  people 
and  learn  the  language  by  ear,  which  proved  in  my 
case,  and  I  believe,  it  is  in  every  case,  to  be  the 
best  school  for  learning  the  correct  pronunciation 
of  any  language  you  might  desire  to  speak,  and  be 
not  laughable  when  you  address  the  natives  of  that 
language. 

Where  should  I  direct  my  wandering  steps,  it  was 
the  all  important  question,  under  my  consideration 
in  the  first  place.  Boston:  I  had  been  scouring  the 
ground  before,  and  from  a  thorough-going  I  was 
convinced  that  to  begin  in  a  place  where  the  most 
superstitious,  if  not  fanatics,  Greeks  are  situated, 
at  all  appearances  it  should  be  a  wonderful  failure 
without  any  dose  of  wisdom  in  it;  while  I  was  not 
able  to  take  my  stand  before  the  people,  whose 
sympathies  I  needed  in  judging  my  purposes  and  my 
efforts.  In  the  great  wild  West,  way  out  there, 
where  some  of  the  best  easterners  by  leaving  their 
homes  and  their  comforts  therein,  and  enduring  all 
the  hardships  of  pioneering  life  they  succeeded  at 
last  to  put  a  solid  foundation  of  a  new  and  perma- 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  95 

nent  civilization  astonishingly  wonderful  not  only  in 
the  development  of  this  great  land  of  liberty  but 
revolutionizing  the  w^hole  commercial  and  social  sys- 
tem of  the  v^orld. 

Who  hath  known  the  mind  of  the  Lord?  We 
have  been  taught,  that  His  purpose  is  to  glorify 
Himself  through  human  agency,  and  we  know  that 
all  the  great  movements  in  history  were  originated 
in  an  insignificant  way  by  insignificant  persons  at  the 
beginning.  Who  could  say,  at  the  time,  when  the 
daughter  of  Pharaoh  came  down  to  wash  herself  at 
the  river,  and  there  she  drew  out  of  the  water  an 
ark  with  a  child  in  it,  that  that  child  would  be  the 
chosen  one  of  God  to  deliver  his  people  from  the 
Egyptian  bondage?  Or,  when,  a  poor  carpenter  with 
his  wife  went  up  from  Galilee,  out  of  the  city  of 
Nazareth,  into  Judea  in  a  small  village  of  Bethlehem, 
and  Mary  brought  forth  her  first-born  son,  and 
wrapped  him  in  swaddhng  clothes,  and  laid  him  in 
a  manger,  because  there  was  no  room  for  them  in 
the  inn ;  that  that  baby  was  the  King  of  Kings,  Christ 
the  Lord  and  Saviour  of  all  mankind? 

That,  humble  fishermen  would  be  the  heralds  of 
glad  tidings,  to  those  who  accept  Christ  as  their 
Saviour?  That  an  altruist  monk  should  leave  his 
monastery,  thus  violating  his  vows  to  Pope  and  the 
church,  to  be  the  mouthpiece  of  the  Truths  of  Christ's 
Gospel,  and  become  the  father  of  a  Reformation  that 
brought  down  the  Romish  pride,  for  all  time  and 
raised  the  banner  of  personal  liberty  in  Him  who  is 
the  Only  One  to  save  every  soul  that  cometh  unto 


96       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

Him  without  the  necessity  of  a  priest?  That  such 
men  as  John  Wesley,  Moody,  and  a  number  of  others, 
to  accompHsh  great  things  for  the  advancement  of 
God's  kingdom?  And  the  greatest  rehgious  Hving 
man,  General  William  Booth,  who,  with  his  ingenious 
and  prototype  system,  is  doing  more  for  God  and 
humanity,  than  all  religious  bodies  put  together? 
Their  beginning  was  insignificant. 

These  names,  a  few  of  the  many,  I  thought  to 
mention  for  the  encouragement  of  those  who  always 
try  to  find  some  excuse,  for  not  doing  all  they  can, 
to  realize  that  for  which  they  every  day  pray,  "Thy 
Kingdom  come."  As  for  me,  I  know,  that  there  is 
nothing  impossible  with  Jesus,  and  it  is  only  accord- 
ing to  our  faith,  and  the  work  which  we  put  in  it, 
that  we  reap  the  results  of  our  efforts. 

When  I  left  New  York,  I  made  a  short  stop-over 
at  New  Jersey,  and  one  snowy  morning  I  went  to  the 
R.  R.  station  and  purchased  my  ticket  for  Athens, 
Ohio,  because,  in  studying  geography,  I  noticed  that 
there  are  quite  a  number  of  towns  in  the  United 
States  by  the  name  of  Athens,  and  I  was  very  de- 
sirous to  visit  the  Athens,  Ohio,  and  see  if  there 
was  any  Acropolis  or  monuments  to  compare  with 
the  Athens,  Greece.  The  train  arrived  at  Athens, 
Ohio,  R.  R.  station  just  on  time,  not  to  miss  my 
dinner  at  a  nearby  restaurant,  where  I  inquired 
if  there  were  any  Greek  people  in  the  town.  A 
very  gentle  young  lady,  waiting  on  the  table  gave 
me  instructions  to  find  a  candy  store  kept  by  a 
Greek,  where  she  took  her  ice  cream.     I  found  the 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  97 

place  and  the  Greek  who  was  a  real  good  natured 
middle-aged  man  and  his  family  living  on  the  floor 
above  the  store.  He  received  me  kindly  and  after 
a  short  conversation  he  said  he  thought  I  could  make 
a  suitable  help  for  him  and  he  offered  me  the  job 
without  asking  any  questions  as  to  my  identification. 
I  had  no  thought  of  staying  at  that  place  and  de- 
clined the  offer.  By  the  same  Greek  I  was  glad  to 
learn  that  Athens,  Ohio,  though  there  is  no  Acrop- 
olis and  no  Socrates  there;  yet,  she  is  a  nice  little 
college  town  and  the  Greek  was  doing  a  rushing 
business  with  the  students.  The  next  train  was  for 
St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  I  was  very  anxious  to  see 
the  Mississippi  river,  so  I  went  on  that  train.  The 
great  bridge  on  the  Mississippi  river  and  the  Union 
station  at  St.  Louis  are  two  buildings  that  could 
make  honor  to  any  city  in  the  world.  I  left  my 
luggage  at  the  parcel-room  and  started  out  to  find  a 
hotel,  where  I  could  have  the  best  accommoda- 
tions for  the  smallest  amount  of  money.  When  I 
located  myself  the  best  that  I  could,  the  next  thing 
I  thought  to  look  around  for  a  job,  as  I  liked  to 
stay  in  St.  Louis  till  the  opening  of  the  World's  Fair 
in  the  year  1904.  I  bought  a  newspaper :  I  could  then 
read  some  English,  but  speak  very  little  yet.  The 
advertisement  which  attracted  my  attention  was  a 
short  one  ''Wanted  young  man  willing  to  work,  ap- 
ply, at  given  number  and  street."  It  was  Saturday 
yet  I  was  anxious  and  willing  to  work,  so,  I  went  to 
answer  the  ad.  By  asking  in  every  corner  some  man 
in  uniform,   not  knowing   at  the  time   if  they   were 


98       CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

policemen  or  conductors  in  the  electric  cars,  I  find 
the  street  and  presently  I  saw  the  number  above 
the  door  of  a  great  big  livery  stable.  I  looked  over 
the  newspaper,  and  the  number  was  correct.  I  was 
not  prepared  for  the  surprise  and  for  a  moment  I 
hesitated  to  enter.  The  thoughts  came  to  me  by 
bunches :  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  I  was  looking 
for  an  honest  work  to  make  an  honest  living,  and 
the  first  place,  God's  Providence,  brought  me,  was 
a  stable;  and  what  a  big  stable  that  was.  I  never 
knew  anything  about  stables  and  horses:  what  could 
I  do  there?  Instantly  my  feet  began  to  move  back- 
wards when  a  thought  came  as  a  lightning:  what  do 
you  care  if  it  is  a  stable,  or  a  dowager's  palace?  It 
is  work  that  you  want,  and  it  is  much  more  honor- 
able to  work  in  a  stable  and  be  right  with  God,  than 
to  live  in  the  luxuries  as  a  High  Priest  and  be  an 
hypocrite.  Labor,  it  has  always  been  an  object  of 
my  admiration,  though,  labor  is  set  forth  as  a  part 
of  the  primeval  curse,  "in  the  sweat  of  thy  face  thou 
shalt  eat  bread"  and  doubtless  there  is  a  view  of 
labor  which  exhibits  in  it  reality  as  a  heavy,  some- 
times a  crueling  burden.  But  labor  is  by  no  means 
exclusively  an  evil,  nor  is  its  prosecution  a  dishonor. 
These  impressions,  false  though  they  are,  have 
wrought  a  vast  and  complicated  amount  of  harm  to 
men,  especially  to  the  industrious  classes,  causing 
these  classes,  that  is,  the  great  majority  of  our  fel- 
low-creatures, to  be  regarded,  and  consequently  to 
be  treated  even  in  Christian  lands,  as  a  parish  caste, 
as  hereditary  "hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water" 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  99 

doomed  by  Providence,  if  not  primarily  by  the  Cre- 
ator himself,  to  a  low  and  degrading  yoke,  and  ut- 
terly incapable  of  entertaining  lofty  sentiments,  or 
rising  to  a  higher  position;  to  be  restrained  there- 
fore in  every  manifestation  of  impatience  lest  they 
should  temporarily  gain  the  upper  hand,  and  lay 
waste  the  fair  fields  of  civilization;  and  to  be  kept 
under  for  the  safety  of  society,  if  not  for  their  own 
safety,  by  social  burdens  and  the  depressing  influ- 
ences of  disregard  and  contempt. 

A  better  feeling,  however,  regarding  labor  and 
laborers,  is  beginning  to  prevail:  these  motions, 
which  breathe  the  very  spirit  of  slavery  whence  they 
are  borrowed,  are  in  a  word  dishonored,  while  they 
are  gradually  losing  their  hold  on  the  heart,  and 
their  influence  on  the  life.  Individuals  arising  from 
time  to  time  irom  the  lowest  levels  of  social  life  to 
take,  occupy,  and  adorn  its  loftiest  posts,  have  ir- 
resistibly shown  that  there  is  no  depression  in 
society  which  the  favors  of  God  may  not  reach. 
Especially  has  a  wider  and  more  humane  spirit  begun 
to  prevail  since  man  has  learned  more  accurately  to 
know,  and  more  powerfully  to  feel,  the  genius  and 
the  spirit  of  the  Gospel,  whose  originator  was  a  car- 
penter's son,  and  whose  heralds  were  Galilean  fisher- 
men. Reason  and  experience  too,  in  this  as  in  all 
cases,  have  come  to  revealed  truth,  tending  forcibly 
to  show  that  labor,  if  under  certain  circumstances  it 
has  a  curse  to  inflict,  has  also  many  priceless  bless- 
ings to  bestow.  Yet,  when  it  fell  to  my  lot,  to  sub- 
mit myself  in  that  class  and  be  a  laborer  and  earn  my 


100     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

bread  by  the  sweat  of  my  brow,  it  was  a  critical  mo- 
ment to  decide  upon.     And  just  at  this  moment  a 
man  of   small   stature  came  out   of  the   stable,   and 
as  I  looked  suspiciously,  he  asked  me  if  I  wanted 
anything.     I   want  this  job  said  I,   showing  to  him 
the  ad  in  the  paper.     With  a  few  sharp  glances  at 
me  standing  now  like  a  marble;  all  right,  he  said; 
you  just  put  on  your  working  clothes  and  come  here 
on  Monday  morning  at  5  a.  m.,  and  we  will  have 
something  for  you  to  do.     I  left  him  and  on  my  way 
back   home   I    entered    the    first   clothing    store    and 
purchased  an  outfit  of  working-man's  clothes.     The 
next  day  was  Sunday  and  I  spent  the  day  in  my  room, 
praying    that    God    would    sustain    me    in    my    new 
career.     At  night  I  had  very  little  sleep,  making  my 
plans  for  the  future,  or  building  my  castles  in  the 
air,  and  early  Monday  morning  I  was  at  the  stable 
before   5   a.  m.     Soon  the  little  man  appeared  and 
after  the  customary   ceremony   in   taking  my   name 
and  address,  he  led  the  way  into  the  inner  part  of 
the  stable  in  front  of  a  huge  heap  of  horse  manure. 
There,    he    says,    you    just    shovel    that   out    of    the 
window,  and  handing  to  me  a  big  fork,  for  the  opera- 
tion, he  disappeared. 

There  are  certain  happenings  in  our  lives  indelibly 
written  in  our  memory,  which  cannot  be  effaced  by 
the  stream  of  time,  and  one  week's  experience  in  this 
stable  was  sufficient  to  engrave  the  deepest  lines  in 
my  heart  of  sympathy  and  mercy  for  sinful,  suffering 
humanity.  It  has  been  said  in  the  old  Greek  mythol- 
ogy that  the  greatest  achievement  of  Hercules  was 


Rf.v.  M.  GoLDf:N 
Captain  of  the  Salvation  Army 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  loi 

when  he  undertook  to  clean  the  stable  of  the  king 
Augeus  at  Argos.  But  should  Hercules  lived  in  this 
stable  for  one  week,  I  doubt  that  his  name  would 
ever  appear  in  the  list  of  demigods. 

It  is  beyond  the  limits  of  self  respect  to  even  at- 
tempt a  brief  account  of  all  that  took  place  in  that 
stable,  1  It  sufficient  to  say  that  I  went  in  there  one 
individual  and  by  Saturday  I  came  out  ten  thousand 
strong.  And  I  had  to  put  up  in  St.  Louis  one  more 
week  in  a  bath  house,  with  much  work  and  expense 
to  get  back  into  my  one  individual,  and  hasten  my 
wandering  steps  towards  Chicago,  with  a  stop-over 
at  Springfield,  Illinois,  where  I  had  references  to 
meet  a  gentleman,  professor  of  the  Greek  language 
in  one  of  the  colleges  there.  When  I  arrived  at  the 
house  of  the  dear  professor,  he,  began  to  speak  to 
me  from  a  book,  in  an  exameter  homerean  tone,  and 
I  understood  about  as  much  as  the  faithful  who  goes 
to  church  and  the  priest  reads  the  mass  in  Latin. 
At  Springfield  I  lost  my  satchel  and  with  it  my  Greek 
documents,  which  might  have  been  very  interesting 
to  the  reader,  yet,  I  hope  in  my  next  publication  to 
have  reproductions  of  those  documents  from  the 
original,  which  I  can  easily  obtain  from  Athens. 

Chicago  is  my  next  stop.  The  Babylon  of  the 
West.  Last  week  of  January,  1904,  the  weather  12 
degrees  below  zero.  All  the  idles  of  Chicago  hired 
by  the  city  hall  could  not  keep  control  of  the  snow 
on  the  streets.  I  located  myself  in  a  furnished  room 
on  Wabash  Avenue,  and  bought  a  paper  to  find  a 
job,   but  my  experience   in  the   stable   at   St.   Louis, 


I02     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

took  away  from  me  all  the  courage  to  select  any  kind 
of  work  from  the  paper,  yet  I  was  very  anxious  to 
settle  for  a  while  in  Chicago,  in  that  third  cosmo- 
politan city  of  the  world,  London  and  New  York 
being  respectively  first  and  second. 

Chicago  offers  great  opportunity  to  a  student  of 
religious,  industrial  and  social  conditions,  and  when, 
by  chance,  I  secured  employment  in  a  leading  ware- 
house, a  very  good  paying  position,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, I  devoted  all  my  spare  time  visiting  the 
Greek  quarters,  incognito,  and  studying  everything 
that  came  within  my  observation,  and  attending  all 
kinds  of  public  meetings  of  various  denominations 
and  societies,  which  proved  a  great  help  to  me  in 
learning  the  proper  pronunciation  of  the  English 
words,  in  fact  for  five  years  I  did  not  speak  five  times 
in  the  Greek  language. 

One  morning  I  read  in  the  paper  the  following 
announcement:  ''The  Knights  Templar  of  the  United 
States  have  made  their  plans  to  celebrate  the  29th 
triennial  conclave  of  Knights  Templar  to  be  held  in 
San  Francisco,  Cal.,  September  4  to  9.  The  occa- 
sion will  be  of  universal  character,  representatives 
from  all  the  world;  and  Great  Britain  will  send  to 
this  imposing  ceremony  the  highest  officials  that 
control  the  affairs  of  the  chivalric  order  of  Freemas- 
onry in  the  British  Isles.  The  Earl  of  Euston,  most 
eminent  and  supreme  grand  master  of  great  priory 
of  England  and  Wales  and  the  dependencies  of  the 
British  crown,  were  coming  with  credentials  to  rep- 
resent Edward  VII,  the   king  of   England."     I   was 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER         103 

looking  forward  to  my  visit  to  California,  since  I 
left  New  York,  but  I  never  expected  the  time  for 
me  to  go  there  would  come  so  soon  as  it  did.  I  was 
longing  to  see  a  great  gathering  of  Freemasons,  of 
this  class  of  men,  that,  in  every  country  represents 
the  highest  ideals  of  good  citizenship. 

With  a  few  days  preliminary  preparations,  I  bade 
good-bye  to  my  employer,  and  well  supplied  with 
recommendations  from  some  influential  friends  and 
acquaintances  which  I  had  made  in  Chicago,  I  saw 
myself  off  to  California,  on  the  forenoon  train,  the 
25th  of  June,  1904. 

The  trip  was  uneventful,  excepting  the  unbearable 
heat  and  dust,  especially  going  through  the  States  of 
Oklahoma,  Arizona  and  New  Mexico,  and  the  num- 
ber of  Indians,  which,  for  the  first  time  in  my  life 
I  beheld  in  their  own  skin  living  and  moving  con- 
tented as  though  they  still  were  the  dominating  race 
on  the  continent,  with  their  square  faces  painted  in 
various  colors,  wrapped  in  their  blankets,  and  bare- 
footed, their  feet  being  very  much  like  those  of  a 
mud  turtle,  they  were  the  real  thing. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Honorable  Submission 

THERE  was  a  time  when  the  Eastern  part  of 
the  United  States  looked  upon  San  Francisco 
as  the  coming  New  York  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  but 
since  the  disastrous  earthquake  in  the  year  1906,  the 
stream  of  progress  as  a  great  commercial  center  has 
been  turned  rather  towards  the  Northern  Pacific 
Coast,  yet  San  Francisco  with  its  great  harbor,  the 
ever  increasing  commercial  developments  and  num- 
ber of  other  advantages,  still  is  a  magnificent  attrac- 
tion to  the  homeseeker,  who  for  the  last  few  years 
has  been  very  sceptical  in  his  preference  on  account 
of  existing  unfavorable  conditions  regarding  the  city's 
government  which  is  the  prey  of  dishonest  politicians. 
For  this  and  many  other  reasons  I  should  never  make 
my  home  within  the  Hmits  of  the  city  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. There  are  beautiful  localities  within  short  dis- 
tances, desirable  in  every  respect  and  beyond  the  claws 
of  the  city  hall  of  San  Francisco. 

Mount  Tamalpais,  I  believe,  is  a  most  pleasant 
location  for  the  lovers  of  nature.  Words  fail,  and  it 
is  beyond  the  ability  of  my  pen,  to  even  attempt 
to  describe,  the  beauties  which  nature  has  bestowed 
upon  the  Mount  of  Tamalpais.  Situated  just  across 
the  bay  of  San  Francisco,  by  the  way  of  Socialito, 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER         105 

on  the  train  to  Mill  Valley  and  whence  on  the  crook- 
edest  railroad  in  the  world,  climbing  2000  feet  above 
the  tide  of  water,  we  reach  the  lower  top  of  the 
mountain,  and  there  we  find  accommodations  to  en- 
tertain kings  and  princesses,  and  the  most  eccentric 
Yankee.  Yet,  I  am  assured,  that  scarcely  one-tenth 
of  the  visitors  to  California,  have  ever  had  the  ex- 
ceptional privilege  to  spend  24  hours,  on  the  top 
of  Mount  Tamalpais,  and  thereafter  all  through  their 
lives  enjoy  the  most  wonderful  recollection  in  all 
God's  creation. 

The  Alps  in  Europe  are  too  stupendous  to  be 
compared  with  this  majestically  magnificent  mount 
of  Tamalpais.  The  Himalaya  in  Asia  are  too  brutish 
to  be  considered  as  a  rival  of  this  gentle  and  illus- 
trious sky-scraper.  The  Olympus  and  Parnassus  of 
Greece  are  out  of  season  to  be  paralleled  with  this 
up-to-date  marvelous  throne  of  their  Majesties  the 
Kings  of  America.  There  is  the  Tamalpais  Hotel,  a 
real  palace,  where  the  guests  can  rest  and  from  the 
verandas  or  the  windows  of  their  own  rooms  observe 
the  animating  sights  on  the  left  hand  side  the  snow- 
covered  top-heads  of  the  mountains  and  following  to 
the  right  look  down  upon  the  valleys  and  behold  the 
myriads  of  orange  and  lemon  and  all  the  fruit-bear- 
ing trees  blooming  all  the  year  around  and  decorated 
like  brides  in  their  wedding  procession,  not  only  for 
a  few  moments,  till  the  law  ties  the  knot,  but  forever 
as  long  as  the  life-giving  climate  of  beautiful  Cali- 
fornia lasts  and  time  shall  be  no  more. 

When   I   went   up   to   the   Mountain,   looking    for 


io6     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

employment,  because  I  wanted  to  locate  myself  in 
such  a  place,  if  I  could,  till  the  celebration  of  the 
Knights  Templar  was  over,  I  was  surprised  to  find 
that  the  General  Manager  of  the  Hotel  and  the  R.  R. 
Station  was  a  lady,  of  a  striking  majestical  appear- 
ance, she  was  the  controlling  power  of  the  whole 
business  on  Mount  Tamalpais,  and  she  was  not  a 
suffragette  either.  But  she  was  a  loving  mother  of 
two  beautiful  children,  a  typical  Yankee  girl,  well  up 
in  her  teens,  supervising  over  the  chambermaids,  and 
variously  assisting  her  mother,  and  an  active  boy  of 
sixteen,  the  good-fellow  of  everybody,  and  especially 
to  the  Chinamen  employed  in  the  kitchen.  Mr.  John- 
son was  the  husband  and  father  of  this  happy  family, 
and  he  occupied  the  position  of  butler  of  the  house, 
receiving  orders  from  his  beloved  wife. 

I  presented  my  credentials  to  Mrs.  Johnson  and 
she,  being  satisfied,  was  very  kind  to  give  me  the 
charge  of  two  tables  to  wait  upon  in  the  dining  room. 
It  seemed  as  though  I  made  good  as  a  waiter,  judg- 
ing by  the  coins  which  the  customers,  began  to  for- 
get, beneath  their  plates,  in  leaving  the  table,  some 
call  it  tips,  I  called  it  real  money. 

September  was  well  at  hand,  one  day  old,  and 
Mrs.  Johnson  was  very  anxious  to  have  the  premises 
well  decorated,  and  a  big  arch  should  be  erected  at 
the  entrance,  with  the  sign,  "WELCOME,"  to 
Knights  Templar,  as  news  came  from  San  Francisco, 
that  the  Knights  were  already  in  possession  of  the 
Golden  Gate.  Mrs.  Johnson  was  almost  in  despair, 
unable  to  find  someone  among  that  great  army  of 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  107 

employees,  to  have  any  artistic  ideas  of  decorating  or 
even  to  make  a  few  flower  designs  and  put  up  the 
arch  out  of  some  green  foHage.  We  were  all  green, 
in  that  respect.  But  as  I  always  find  myself  at  hand, 
wherever  help  is  to  be  rendered,  I  offered  my  serv- 
ices, and  by  what  I  could  remember  from  my  friend 
Jack,  in  New  York,  how  he  could  decorate  every- 
thing to  a  good  taste,  I  have  been  able  to  put  up 
a  nice  decoration  and  the  third  of  September,  1904, 
the  flags  of  all  nations  were  waving  and  everything 
was  ready  for  the  reception  of  the  Knights  Templar. 
Mrs.  Johnson  was  pleased  to  the  extent  of  present- 
ing me  with  an  extra  three  dollars  and  relieving  me 
from  the  dining  room,  she  appointed  me  in  charge 
of  the  pavilion,  an  out-doors  building,  where  the 
Knights  Templar  would  privately  entertain  their 
families  and  lady  friends.  In  this  position  I  was 
enabled  to  see  more  of  the  high  American  life  than 
I  ever  dreamed  of  before.  The  English  Lord,  and 
the  Parisien  Dame  de  Honor,  were  eclipsed  as  they 
would  look  like  pygmies  by  the  side  of  the  sunshin- 
ing,  bright-hearted  American  gentlemen,  and  the 
sweet  and  graceful  demigoddess  American  lady.  But 
my  enthusiasm  reached  its  zenith  when  a  gentleman 
from  Pittsburg,  in  company  with  his  ladies,  after  an 
enjoyable  dinner,  at  the  pavilion,  he  left  under  his 
plate  a  shining  five  dollar  gold  piece;  at  the  sight 
of  the  unexpected  I  made  a  sign  to  which  the  gentle- 
man was  obhged  to  respond,  and  that  settled  it, 
there  was  no  mistake  about  it,  the  man  and  I  were 
brothers  and  the  coin  was  intended  as  my  tip.     And 


io8     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

afterwards  the  incident  occurred  repeatedly  during 
the  celebration  of  Knights  Templar  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. 

Now,  if  everything  in  this  world  was  just  a  pro- 
cession like  that  of  Knights  Templar  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  everybody  was  happy  as  the  people  I  have 
seen  on  Mount  Tamalpais,  then  there  would  be  no 
sorrow,  and  there  woud  be  no  pain;  in  fact  this 
world  would  be  the  paradise  on  earth.  But,  alas ! 
regretful  as  it  may  be,  yet  it  is  only  the  simple  truth, 
that  it  is  only  the  minority  that  are  real  happy,  while 
the  vast  majority  of  men  and  women  and  children  in 
this  world  are  just  a  mass  of  suffering  humanity, 
and  if  the  investigations  of  religious  societies,  sociol- 
ogists, and  psychologists,  are  true,  the  cause  of  all 
misery  in  this  world  is  misconduct  or  misfortune, 
which  in  one  word  is,  sin,  that  brings  misery.  And 
there  is  where  my  purpose  in  life  begins.  I  am  out 
against  sin.  But  to  fight  sin,  it  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  be  a  soldier  of  the  man  who  gave  his  Hfe  for 
the  salvation  of  all  mankind. 

President  Emeritus  EHot  of  Harvard  University, 
a  man  of  colossal  thought-machine,  man,  who  con- 
trols the  unprejudiced  intellectual  minds  of  America, 
in  his  address  on  "The  Religion  of  the  Future,"  is 
quoted  as  saying:  'T  venture  to  add  that  I  am  not 
at  the  hold  of  any  proud  world — whatever;  second, 
that  such  little  part  of  the  world  as  I  am  best  ac- 
quainted with  loves  the  Lowly  Nazarene — and  does 
not  hate  Him;  thirdly,  that  I  have  met  during  my 
life  most  of  the  sorrows  which  are  accounted  heav- 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  109 

iest;  fourth,  that  Jesus  will  be  in  the  religion  of  the 
future,  not  less,  but  more,  than  in  the  Christianity 
of  the  past."  All  efforts  without  Jesus,  trying  to 
better  the  world,  shall  fail.  It  is  and  will  be  the 
opinion  of  all  sane  minds  for  many  generations  yet 
to  come.  This  was  my  opinion  and  the  only  impos- 
ing motive  that  brought  me  down  on  my  knees  on 
the  14th  of  October,  1904,  in  a  poorly  furnished  hall 
where  the  Salvation  Army  had  the  Sunday  night's 
meeting.  I  gave  my  heart  to  Jesus,  for  life  and  for 
eternity,  to  be  his  and  his  alone.  And  I  knew,  there 
and  then,  that  I  was  honorably  converted. 

To  make  the  surrender  complete  I  offered  my 
services  to  the  Salvation  Army,  that  I  should  use 
all  I  had,  my  time  and  my  talent,  to  uplift  the  down- 
fallen  humanity  and  help  to  make  this  world  better. 
Major  Harris  Connett  and  Adjutant  Allison  Coe, 
were  the  officers  in  charge  of  the  Los  Angeles  Salva- 
tion Army  and  they  received  me  into  their  ranks  and 
for  ten  months  I  was  engaged  in  this  wonderful  or- 
ganization, visiting  the  sick,  praying  in  the  saloons, 
in  the  slums  and  everywhere  doing  all  that  I  could 
to  promote  the  cause  of  Jesus  in  bringing  souls  into 
his  fold.  But  nothing  gave  me  so  great  pleasure  as 
the  poor  children  of  Los  Angeles  at  Christmas  time 
when  I  was  dressed  in  the  Santa  Claus  clothing  dis- 
tributing presents  to  them.  I  never  felt  happier  in 
all  my  life  even  in  the  best  days  as  a  High  Priest. 

After  passing  successfully  my  preparatory  studies 
in  Los  Angeles,  word  came  from  the  Headquarters 
that  they  wanted  me  in  the  college  Training  Home, 


no     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

in  Chicago,  to  take  the  course  of  officership;  and 
the  15th  of  August,  1905,  finds  me  sweeping  the 
back  yard  at  the  Training  Home,  West  Adams  St., 
Chicago,  IlHnois. 

Were  it  possible  for  every  man  and  woman  who 
pretends  to  be  a  minister  of  Jesus,  to  pass  six  months 
in  any  of  the  Training  Colleges  of  the  Salvation 
Army,  then  there  should  be  fewer  ministers,  but  far 
more  useful,  in  the  betterment  of  the  world,  than 
many  of  them  that  are  under  the  present  conditions. 

It  is  the  most  psychological  system,  in  these  Train- 
ing Colleges  that  brings  out  all  the  virtues  that  every 
heart  possesses  and  every  bit  of  iniquity  that  may  be 
hidden  in  the  personal  character  of  the  man  or  woman 
who  willingly  denies  himself  or  herself  of  all  pros- 
pects and  pleasures  in  this  world  just  for  the  only 
purpose  to  live  and  love  and  serve  the  suffering 
humanity.  There  are  exceptions  to  the  rule  among 
the  officers  of  the  Salvation  Army,  once  in  a  great 
while  some  one  will  prove  unworthy  to  the  cause,  but 
these  exceptions  are  common  in  every  human  insti- 
tution, and  they  are  so  few  in  the  Salvation  Army 
that  fully  justifies  the  public  confidence  upon  this 
marvelously  developing  great  movement. 

I  went  through  the  theoretical  and  practical  work 
for  which  I  could  make  a  whole  volume  of  the  ex- 
periences in  the  slums  of  Chicago,  where  I  had  to 
reprove  a  policeman,  whom  I  found  in  a  saloon 
drinking  in  full  uniform,  while  in  the  back  room  there 
was  a  girl  not  over  fifteen  years  old,  in  the  company 
of  a  most  reckless  middle-aged  man,  both  exceedingly 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER         iii 

intoxicated  and  still  drinking.  I  dismissed  the  man, 
and  sent  the  girl  to  the  rescue  home,  where  she  would 
be  taken  care  of. 

The  17th  of  January,  1906,  I  received  my  diploma 
as  an  active  member  of  the  National  First  Aid  As- 
sociation of  America,  and  my  commission  as  a  Cap- 
tain in  the  Salvation  Army,  and  I  was  appointed  in 
charge  of  No.  4  in  Chicago.  I  went  to  my  quarters 
and  there  was  not  kindling  wood  enough  to  start  a 
fire,  and  no  coal;  and  the  weather  14  degrees  below 
zero,  half  the  glass  panes  of  the  windows  broken, 
and  everything  in  the  house  frozen,  and  the  Corps 
indebted  to  the  extent  of  175  dollars,  that  I  was  ex- 
pected to  pay.  You  have  to  put  yourself  in  a  po- 
sition of  this  kind  in  order  to  appreciate  the  circum- 
stances under  which  I  was  placed.  Yet,  when  every- 
thing seems  dark,  and  there  is  no  visible  way  out  of 
the  difficulty,  it  is  then  that  with  Jesus  on  our  side, 
we  shall  always  find  some  way.  The  first  consider- 
ation in  a  missionary  work  should  be  to  get  souls 
converted  to  God.  With  much  prayer  and  great 
faith  upon  the  Almighty,  I  began  my  work,  and 
when  the  Spirit  spread  all  round  that  community  and 
the  sinners  began  to  flock  into  the  fold  of  Jesus, 
there  was  a  change  in  a  very  short  time.  The  old 
debt  was  paid,  and  we  had  comfortable  quarters 
to  lay  our  heads;  and  the  roll-call  of  the  Corps  in- 
creased, and  God  was  glorified,  and  there  is  a  Corps, 
till  this  day,  in  Chicago,  which  they  call  the  big  4 
of  the  Salvation  Army. 

The  San  Francisco  disaster  came  and  the  Salva- 


112     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

tion  Army  called  me  into  its  relieving  department  to 
help  the  sufferers.  After  which  they  appointed  me 
assistant  to  the  Illinois  Division,  where  for  two  years 
I  made  a  deeper  and  more  thorough  study  of  the 
various  departments  in  operation. 

In  April,  1908,  I  visited  England  with  the  desire 
to  study  closer  and  more  extensively  the  methods, 
and  see  for  myself  the  great  works  which  the  Salva- 
tion Army  has  accompUshed  in  the  British  Isles. 

On  my  return  to  the  United  States  I  was  ap- 
pointed divisional  solicitor  for  the  Northern  New 
England,  where,  splendid  success  was  the  result  of 
my  efforts,  and  there  was  a  great  field  to  work  in 
and  every  opportunity  to  do  good. 

But  in  searching  my  heart's  ambition  I  find  that  it 
was  high  time  for  me  to  turn  all  my  energies  to- 
ward the  people  for  whose  Salvation  I  was  ordained 
a  High  Priest  in  the  Church,  and  although  the  Church 
failed  in  its  mission,  yet,  to  upUft  my  people  is  still 
the  aim  of  my  life. 

After  much  thought  and  due  consideration  of  my 
obligations  to  the  Salvation  Army,  I  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  in  view  of  the  fact  that  following 
an  unsuccessful  correspondence  with  the  Salvation 
Army,  the  National  Headquarters  refused  to  grant 
me  a  leave  of  absence,  and  insisted  that  I  should  go 
back  West,  while  I  knew  that  the  field  where  I  was 
called  to  fight  the  battle  of  my  life  was  right  here 
in  New  England,  the  best  thing  for  me  to  do  re- 
mained to  send  in  my  resignation,  and  I  did  so,  thus 
thrusting  myself   entirely  upon  the   hands  of   God. 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER         113 

And  though  as  yet  I  have  received  no  reply  from 
the  National  Headquarters,  my  resignation  is  final, 
and  now  I  am  free,  and  my  work  unmolested  of  all 
denominational  differences,  dogmas  and  doctrines, 
which  in  the  light  of  the  Ecclesiastical  history  has 
always  been  the  fatal  cause  of  failure,  in  the 
Churches,  to  accomplish  their  mission  in  the  Salva- 
tion of  the  world. 


CHAPTER  IX 

Practical  Effects  of  Practical 
Truth 

THE  necessity  of  faith,  as  a  primary  element 
in  all  acceptable  religious  exercises,  has  al- 
ready been  noticed.  A  feeling  of  entire  dependence 
upon  God  for  spiritual  mercy  is  the  only  right  feel- 
ing, because  it  is  the  only  true  feeling.  It  is  neces- 
sary, according  to  the  foregoing  view  of  the  subject, 
in  order  to  offer  acceptable  prayer,  that  man  should 
possess  a  spirit  of  faith  and  dependence  upon  Christ. 
The  principle  upon  which  Christ  acted  in  relation  to 
this  subject,  as  well  as  His  instruction  concerning  the 
duty  of  prayer,  fully  confirm  the  preceding  thoughts. 
He  seldom  performed  an  act  of  mercy,  by  miracle 
or  otherwise,  unless  those  who  received  the  mercy 
could  see  the  hand  of  God  in  the  blessing: — "If  thou 
canst  believe,  thou  mayest  be  cleansed,"  was  His 
habitual  sentiment.  As  if  He  had  said — Your  desire 
for  the  blessing  is  manifest  by  your  urgent  request; 
now,  if  you  can  have  faith  to  see  God  in  the  blessing, 
so  that  He  will  be  honored  and  praised  for  conferring 
it,  I  will  grant  it;  but  if  you  have  no  faith,  you  can 
receive  no  favor. 

This  little  book  could  easily  occupy  thrice  as  large 
a  size  as  its  present  volume,   had  I  taken  into  ac- 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER         115 

count  all  the  blessings  which  God  has  bestowed 
upon  my  faithful  prayers  and  upon  His  children, 
using  me  as  an  instrument  of  His  hand.  But  I  must 
content  myself  by  referring  to  only  two  cases,  which 
had  had  exceptional  significance  and  gratifying  joy 
not  only  to  my  own  heart,  but  to  every  Christian 
worker. 

With  the  individuals  spoken  of  I  am  well  ac- 
quainted, having  frequently  conversed  with  them  all 
on  the  subjects  of  which  I  shall  speak.  Their  words 
in  these  cases  may  not  have  been  exactly  remem- 
bered, but  the  sense  is  truly  given. 

The  first  case,  is  a  story,  told  all  by  itself,  and  the 
second  case,  is  a  letter  of  a  dear  girl,  whose  mother 
was  a  down  to  the  bone  Roman  Catholic.  The 
daughter  accidentally  came  to  our  meeting  and  gave 
her  heart  to  Jesus.  The  mother  thinking  that  the 
worldly  pleasures  might  drive  her  newly  converted 
daughter  away  from  Jesus,  and  being  very  anxious 
to  get  her  daughter  back  into  the  Catholic  parish, 
she  gave  a  party  to  all  the  young  people  from  the 
same  parish.  And  there  was  plenty  of  song  and 
dance,  but  the  daughter  did  not  show  up.  The 
mother  with  a  number  of  the  guests  went  into  the 
daughter's  room  where  the  girl  in  seclusion  was 
reading  her  Bible;  the  young  people  almost  carry- 
ing her  into  the  reception  hall,  sat  her  upon  the  stool 
in  front  of  the  piano,  earnestly  asking  her  to  play 
for  them  while  they  were  dancing.  But,  the  girl, 
lifting  up  to  God  her  angelic  heart  and  voice,  she 
began  to  play  and  sing,  softly  ''Nearer  My  God  To 


ii6     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

Thee,"  the  tears  streaming  down  her  cheeks;  they 
were  tears  of  joy  for  the  saved  girl,  but  the  young 
people  could  not  stand  it  and  they  ran  away,  while 
the  converted  girl  bended  on  her  knees  in  prayer  for 
them,  and  her  own  mother's  salvation. 

Case  I. — For  love  of  the  Christ: — John  Davis  was 
the  only  child  of  a  Chicago  banker.  The  wealth  and 
social  prominence  of  his  father  had  surrounded  him 
with  every  comfort  and  luxury,  and  his  growth  from 
boyhood  to  incipient  manhood  had  been  tenderly 
watched  over  by  his  fond  parents. 

All  the  hopes  of  his  parents  were  centered  in  their 
only  child.  Mr.  Davis  looked  forward  to  the  time 
when  John  would  become  his  partner,  and  that  his 
son  might  be  fitted  in  every  way,  engaged  the  best 
tutors  procurable  to  attend  to  his  education.  John 
had  graduated  with  honors  after  four  years  of  col- 
lege work,  which  was  marked  by  the  thorough  and 
earnest  application  on  his  part.  His  father  watched 
his  progress  with  growing  pride  and  with  fullest  con- 
fidence in  his  son's  ability,  arranged  to  take  him  into 
partnership  at  the  proper  time. 

Seemingly  the  future  for  John  was  one  of  brilliant 
promise.  But  John  did  not  show  an  eager  anticipa- 
tion for  the  future  as  planned  for  him.  A  life  devoted 
to  business  was  to  him  a  selfish  one.  Something 
within  him  was  insistently  calling  him  to  a  higher 
vocation;  although  apparently  acquiescing  to  his 
father's  plans,  the  prospect  daily  became  more  and 
more  distasteful  to  him. 

From  his  mother,    a  woman   of    singular  devout- 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  117 

ness  and  piety,  John  had  received  a  careful  rehgious 
training,  and  he  could  not  reconcile  the  idea  of  a 
life  devoted  to  self  with  the  truths  he  had  reverently 
accepted  as  his  faith.  Daily  he  met  with  examples 
of  shamefully  degraded  manhood,  of  pitiful  want,  and 
of  unhelped  suffering.  His  soul  went  out  in  pity 
towards  these  unfortunate  ones,  and  at  such  times 
the  voice  within  imperiously  summoned  him  to  follow 
in  the  footsteps  of  Him  whom  he  worshiped  as  Lord 
and  Saviour. 

On  the  other  hand  Reason  urged  filial  obedience 
to  the  wishes  of  his  father.  That  his  mother  would 
understand  and  encourage  him  should  he  heed  the 
call  of  his  soul,  John  did  not  for  an  instant  doubt. 
Not  less  clearly,  however,  did  he  recognize  the  atti- 
tude his  father  would  take  to  such  a  course;  for  his 
father,  while  refraining  from  scoffing  at  behefs  cher- 
ished by  his  wife  and  friends,  made  no  secret  of  his 
own  disbelief  in  them. 

The  Hfe  which  would  appear  to  his  mother  and 
himself  as  noblest  of  all  would  seem  quixotic  and 
senseless  to  his  father.  Besides,  his  father  had  set 
his  heart  on  John's  becoming  his  partner  in  business. 
John  dreaded  to  disappoint  him,  yet  stronger  and 
stronger  grew  the  call  of  that  inner  voice  which  now 
all  but  dominated  him. 

One  evening  as  he  sat  with  his  parents  he  surprised 
them  by  saying:  "Now  that  I  have  finished  my  college 
course  it  is  time  for  me  to  choose  my  vocation,  to 
strive  to  be  of  benefit  to  my  fellow  men." 

"All    arrangements    have    been    made,    John,"    re- 


ii8     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

sponded  Mr.  Davis,  "you  may  begin  at  once  if  you 
so  desire.  Your  mother  and  I  thought,  however, 
that  you  were  entitled  to  a  vacation  after  your  col- 
lege work.  However  we  can  use  you  at  the  bank 
the  moment  you  are  ready,"  laughed  Mr.  Davis. 

"That  is  just  what  I  desire  to  talk  over  with  you, 
father/'  returned  John.  "For  weeks  I  have  felt  that 
the  future  you  have  designed  for  me  is  too  narrow 
— too  selfish.  With  my  Master's  Call  sounding  in 
my  ears,  the  thought  of  devoting  my  life  to  any  busi- 
ness, however  high  its  position  in  the  eyes  of  the 
world,  is  intolerably  repugnant. 

"I  know  how  firmly  your  heart  has  been  set  upon 
my  joining  you  in  business,  and  I  cannot  tell  you 
how  hard  it  is  for  me  to  disappoint  you  at  this  late 
hour,  but  Christ  has  called  me  to  preach  to  His 
people.  I  feel  and  know  that  only  in  so  doing  shall  I 
find  true  happiness  and  contentment. 

"You  surely,  father,  will  not  oppose  my  doing 
that  which  every  fibre  of  my  body  tells  me  is  my 
duty." 

The  eyes  of  Mrs.  Davis  filled  with  glad  tears,  and 
a  prayer  for  Divine  guidance  for  her  son  went  up 
from  her  heart;  but  annoyance  and  displeasure 
plainly  showed  on  Mr.  Davis'  face.  At  length  he 
said: 

"I  had  thought  it  definitely  settled  that  you  were 
to  assist  me,  and  on  the  strength  of  that  belief  I 
have  made  several  important  changes  in  my  business 
with  the  view  of  affording  a  proper  position  for  you. 
Your  decision  declining  to  accept  it  will  inconveni- 
ence me  not  a  little. 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER         119 

"With  all  due  consideration  for  your  religious  be- 
liefs, I  feel  it  my  duty  as  your  father,  John,  to  ex- 
press my  disappointment  of  the  profession  you  at 
present  seem  inclined  to  adopt.  However  you  are 
entering  man's  estate,  and  it  is  for  you  to  decide  as 
to  your  career.  I  shall,  however,  insist  upon  one 
thing:  that  you  take  a  good  vacation  before  making 
your  final  decision. 

"If,  upon  your  return  you  are  of  the  same  mind, 
I  shall  not  oppose  you,  although  to  speak  frankly, 
John,  I  am  not  a  little  disappointed. 

"Anyway  a  good  western  trip  will  greatly  bene- 
fit you,  and  I  shall  not  be  at  all  surprised  if  on  your 
return  your  conception  of  your  duty  has  undergone 
important  modifications."  As  if  signifying  that  he 
desired  to  discuss  the  subject  no  farther,  Mr.  Davis 
rose  and  left  the  room. 

Keenly  feeling  his  father's  disappointment  and 
displeasure,  John  instinctively  turned  to  his  mother 
for  sympathy.  Mrs.  Davis  stepped  to  his  side  and 
with  a  fond  caress  said: 

"Thank  God  you  have  made  this  choice;  I  shall 
do  all  in  my  power  to  help  you." 

"Thank  you,  mother  dear.  I  believe  you  under- 
stand me,  and  know  how  sincere  is  my  desire  to  do 
what  I  can  for  my  fellow  men. 

"I  do  so  long  to  lead  some  of  them  to  Christ;  for 
many  are  wandering  in  darkness,  just  waiting  for 
some  one  to  reach  them  a  helping  hand. 

"In  deference  to  father's  wishes  I  shall  take  a 
vacation;   though   it   can   by   no  possibility   alter   my 


120     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

determination.     On  my   return   I   shall  begin   active 
work  without  delay. 

"I  have  education  enough  to  preach  the  simple 
truths  of  God's  love.  I  wish  to  preach  to  sinners,  not 
to  saints.  I  shall  ask  no  salary  and  have  no  denomina- 
tion.   My  Church  will  be  Christ." 

After  tenderly  embracing  his  mother,  during 
which  the  souls  of  mother  and  son  united  in  a  prayer 
to  the  Most  High,  John  bade  her  "Good  night"  and 
retired. 

The  following  week  found  John  on  his  way  to 
South  Dakota,  his  plan  being  to  make  his  first  stop 
of  any  length  at  Aberdeen. 

He  arrived  there  at  night  and  the  following  morn- 
ing mounted  his  bicycle  for  a  trip  through  the  sur- 
rounding country. 

It  was  a  new  world  to  him.  His  first  thought 
was:  how  splendid  the  roads  were  for  wheeling,  they 
seemed  even  better  than  the  paved  streets  of  the 
city. 

He  cast  his  eyes  over  his  surroundings.  On  all 
sides  was  the  vast  expanse  of  prairie,  ending  only  in 
the  horizon — the  fields  of  grass  and  grain,  moving 
in  the  wind  like  the  waves  of  the  sea;  overhead  the 
blue  sky,  stretching  out  in  a  dome  unbroken  by  hill 
or  forest.  The  sun  above  him  seemed  to  shine  with 
a  brighter  splendor  than  he  had  before  known. 

The  beauties  of  nature  filled  the  soul  of  this  city- 
bred  youth  with  wonder  and  admiration. 

He  rode  on  and  on. 

At  one  moment  the  joyous  song  of  a  lark  capti- 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER         121 

vated  him;  at  another,  the  capering  of  some  colts, 
or  a  sleek  herd  of  cattle  quietly  grazing  in  a  nearby 
pasture  attracted  his  attention;  or  a  colony  of  prairie 
gophers  which  dived  excitedly  into  their  burrows  at 
his  approach,  amused  him  with  their  antics. 

At  last  he  began  to  wonder  how  far  he  had  gone. 

Seeing  nearby  a  large,  well  kept  farm-house,  he 
rode  up  to  it,  to  procure  such  rest  and  refreshment 
as  it  might  afford  him,  before  undertaking  his  long 
ride  back  to  town. 

His  knock  at  the  door  was  answered  by  a  beauti- 
ful girl,  apparently  about  fifteen  years  of  age.  John 
explained  his  errand  to  her,  and  requested  such 
courtesies  as  could  be  granted  without  putting  the 
people  of  the  house  to  undue  inconvenience. 

The  girl  expressed  her  regrets  that  her  parents  were 
away  in  town,  but  saying  that  she  expected  them  home 
very  soon,  she  invited  him  in,  and  ushered  him  into 
a  cool,  spacious  sitting-room. 

Mutual  introductions  followed  and  John  learned 
that  the  name  of  his  fair  young  hostess  was  Lily 
Long,  "but,"  said  she,  with  a  slight  blush,  "father 
calls  me  the  Queen  of  the  Prairie." 

They  visited  together  for  some  little  time,  until  Lily, 
exclaiming  that  her  father  and  mother  were  coming, 
went  out  to  greet  them. 

Left  to  himself,  John  glanced  around  him. 

An  old-fashioned  piano  stood  in  one  corner  of  the 
room.  He  noted  also  an  ample,  well  filled  book-case 
at  one  end  of  the  room. 

"Music,  books,  and   Prairie  Queen,     If  this  is  a, 


122     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

typical  example  of  country  life,  I  must  say  that  I 
rather  Hke  it." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Long  greeted  him  heartily  and  gave 
him  a  cordial  invitation  to  stay  to  dinner — an  invita- 
tion which  he  gratefully  accepted. 

And  what  a  dinner  it  was;  vegetables  fresh  gath- 
ered from  the  garden  in  abundance;  fried  chicken 
prepared  as  only  a  farmer's  wife  can  prepare  it;  and 
the  countless  other  good  things  which  go  to  make 
dinner  on  the  farm.  To  this  dinner  John  brought  an 
appetite  sharpened  by  his  brisk  morning  ride;  he  did 
full  justice  to  the  tempting  viands,  nor  could  he  re- 
member so  thoroughly  enjoying  a  dinner  before. 

Everything  on  the  farm  was  so  clean  and  well 
arranged  that  John  began  to  wish  he  could  board 
there  instead  of  in  town  during  the  remainder  of  his 
visit;  so  when  they  had  adjourned  to  the  sitting-room, 
he  informed  Mr.  Long  of  his  wish,  and  asked  if  it 
were  possible. 

"But  before  you  answer  me,"  he  added,  "I  should 
like  to  make  myself  better  known  to  you." 

Then  he  told  them  of  his  father  and  mother,  of  his 
own  youth,  and  of  his  college  Hfe.  A  natural  question 
on  the  part  of  Mr.  Long  as  to  what  brought  him  so 
far  West  led  to  an  explanation  from  John,  who 
presently  found  himself  telling  his  new-found  friends 
his  future  plans  and  ambitions. 

"My  boy,"  said  Mr.  Long,  reaching  out  his  hand, 
"I  honor  you  for  your  choice.  You  are  welcome  to 
share  our  home  as  long  as  you  care  to  stay." 

Mrs.  Long  wiped  her  eyes  as  she  pressed  John  to 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  123 

stay  with  them,  for  she  thought  of  her  own  son  whom 
God  had  called  home. 

Lily  must  have  been  thinking  of  him  too,  for  she 
said:  *T  am  glad  you  are  going  to  stay,  for  then 
I  can  play  you  are  my  brother." 

*T  certainly  shall  be  proud  to  be  your  brother," 
John  answered  gallantly. 

That  evening  when  the  family  gathered  for  pray- 
ers, Lily  took  her  seat  at  the  old  piano.  Then  John 
realized  why  they  called  her  "Queen,"  for  never  had 
he  heard  such  a  magnificent  voice,  so  sweet,  so  soft, 
and  so  full  of  feeling.  It  seemed  as  though  she  car- 
ried them  nearer  Heaven  with  her  song. 

Before  John  retired  he  wrote  to  his  mother,  tell- 
ing her  of  the  home  he  had  found,  and  of  "The 
Queen  of  the  Prairie."  This  rather  amused  Mrs. 
Davis,  for  hitherto,  John  had  had  little  to  say  in  praise 
of  young  ladies,  although  he  was  a  favorite  among 
them. 

The  summer  passed  merrily  on,  and  John's  vacation 
was  drawing  near  its  close,  when  one  morning  he 
received  a  telegram  telling  him  that  his  mother  was 
dangerously  sick.  The  message  filled  him  with  anxi- 
ous foreboding,  and  he  quickly  prepared  to  return 
home  at  once. 

Tears  were  on  Mrs.  Long's  cheeks  as  she  helped 
him  pack,  for  she  had  not  realized  before  to  what  an 
extent  John  had  taken  her  own  boy's  place  in  her 
heart.  His  own  eyes  were  moist  as  he  bade  her 
farewell,  promising  to  return  as  soon  as  possible. 

Mr.  Long  was  ready  with  a  team  to  drive  him  to 


124     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

town,  and  Lily  was  standing  beside  her  father.  She 
raised  a  tear-stained  face  to  him,  and  said:  ''Good- 
bye, dear  brother,  we  shall  miss  you." 

John  was  not  ashamed  of  his  own  tears,  for  this 
little  girl  who  called  him  ''Brother,"  had  grown  dearer 
to  him  than  all  the  world.  He  stooped  and  reverently 
kissed  her  snow  white  brow,  then  sprang  in  the  buggy 
and  was  gone. 

When  John  reached  home,  his  father  met  him  at 
the  door.  Mr.  Davis'  face  was  ghastly  pale;  he  had 
grown  old  with  grief. 

John's  eyes  asked  the  question  his  lips  could  not 
frame. 

"She  still  lives,  but  the  doctor  says  she  cannot 
last  long,"  said  his  father  in  answer  to  his  son's  mute 
appeal. 

"She  is  paralyzed.  She  will  probably  recognize 
you,  but  she  can  neither  speak  nor  move." 

Without  speaking  John  went  to  his  mother's  bed- 
side, and  saw  that  this  was  indeed  true.  His  mother 
lay  as  one  dead.  A  faint  spark  of  recognition  showed 
in  her  fast  dimming  eyes  as  he  approached  but  other 
signs  of  life  there  were  none. 

Overcome  with  grief,  John  stood  motionless  at  the 
bedside. 

Then  in  agony  he  turned  to  Him  who  faileth  not, 
he  fell  on  his  knees  and  prayed  reverently  for  his 
mother's  recovery. 

His  father  tried  to  lead  him  away,  but  John  con- 
tinued to  pray. 

Then  suddenly  in  that  hour  of  anguish  the  grief- 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  125 

stricken  man  found  his  God.  Kneeling  at  his  son's 
side,  he  implored  mercy  from  Him  whom  hitherto  he 
had  denied. 

All  at  once  Mrs.  Davis  spoke,  ''My  son." 

The  doctor  hastened  to  her  side. 

In  a  moment  he  turned  to  Mr.  Davis  and  said, 
"She  is  better,  she  will  live." 

Dr.  Gordon  was  an  unbeliever,  but  at  that  moment 
he  realized  that  something  had  control  of  life,  which 
could  act  after  science  had  failed. 

He  looked  at  John  who  had  not  yet  risen  from 
his  knees,  at  Mr.  Davis  who  was  pouring  out  thanks 
to  the  God  he  had  just  found,  then  at  the  woman  who 
had  been  saved  at  the  point  of  death. 

Like  a  flash  came  to  him  the  knowledge  of  a  mer- 
ciful Christ,  and  he  joined  the  father  and  son  in  their 
prayer  of  thanksgiving. 

Mrs.  Davis  rapidly  recovered  her  health,  and  John 
soon  entered  upon  his  life  work.  He  received  hearty 
encouragement  from  his  father  this  time,  for  Mr. 
Davis  had  learned  the  Truth  and  found  his  God 
at  the  bedside  of  his  dying  wife  in  such  a  way  as 
to  leave  no  place  in  his  heart  for  opposition  to  work 
in  His  service. 

John's  work  was  among  the  poor.  He  visited 
from  house  to  house,  preaching  and  praying,  and  ex- 
tending material  help  when  such  help  was  most 
needed. 

His  sincerity  and  earnestness  were  the  means  of 
bringing  light  into  many  darkened  lives,  and  the  mes- 
sage of  Christ  crucified  was  eagerly  received  in  re- 
sponse to  his  pleadings. 


126     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

At  one  broken-down  house  he  was  met  by  a  frail 
woman  who  carried  a  half-starved  child  in  her  arms. 
It  was  plainly  apparent  that  in  better  days  she  had 
been  a  handsome  and  refined  woman. 

John  introduced  himself  and  asked  if  he  could  be 
of  any  help  to  her. 

"No,"  she  answered,  "I  am  afraid  you  cannot  aid 
me.  I  am  Rose  Williams.  My  father  is  a  man  of 
wealth.  He  is  living  today  in  luxury  in  a  neighbor- 
ing city,  and  if  I  would  leave  my  husband  I  could  be 
clothed  in  silk  and  satin  instead  of  these  rags,  but  as 
long  as  I  stay  with  him,  my  father  will  not  help  me, 
not  even  to  keep  me  from  starving.  But  I  would 
rather  starve  with  my  husband  than  leave  him  to  kill 
himself  with  drink,  for  I  love  him. 

''Drink  is  the  cause  of  all  my  poverty  and  misery. 
Oh,  if  Ralph  would  only  let  it  alone." 

She  ended  her  story  in  a  frenzied  cry  which  plainly 
showed  the  tension  to  which  she  had  been  wrought, 
but  John's  voice  was  low  and  soothing  as  he  said, 
''Suppose  you  and  I  pray  for  your  husband.  I  have 
great  faith  in  the  power  of  prayer.  Shall  we  not 
pray  together?" 

Together  they  knelt  down,  and  offered  up  an  ear- 
nest prayer.  Mrs.  Williams  spoke  in  low  tones  at 
first,  then  with  great  excitement.  At  last  she  tried 
to  rise,  but  fell  in  a  swoon  on  the  floor.  John  placed 
her  on  a  couch  in  the  room  and  sent  at  once  for 
Dr.  Gordon. 

After  his  examination,  Dr.  Gordon  looked  serious. 

"This  is  going  to  be  a  bad  case  of  brain   fever. 


Ri:v.  M.  Golden 
The  Founder  of  the  Greck-Amerikan-Christian-Association 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER         127 

John.  From  all  appearances  it  has  been  hastened  by 
lack  of  proper  food,  but  she  may  pull  through  if  she 
has  proper  care." 

John  saw  that  the  ser^^ce  of  the  physician  was 
only  part  of  what  was  needed  for  the  woman^s  safety. 

He  went  out  and  procured  bedding  and  food,  and 
his  mother  sent  over  one  of  her  maids,  also  a  trained 
nurse. 

Soon  things  were  made  comfortable  for  Mrs.  Wil- 
liams, but  she  could  not  rest. 

In  her  delirium  she  called  continually  for  Ralph 
to  come  home  and  bring  her  something  to  eat. 

And  where  was  Ralph?  For  three  days  he  had 
been  laying  in  a  drunken  stupor  in  the  cellar  of  a 
saloon,  but  this  evening  he  had  sobered  somewhat, 
and  remorse  for  his  cruel  neglect  of  his  wife  and 
children  was  finding  a  place  in  his  heart.  He  recalled 
the  starving  condition  in  which  he  had  left  them. 

Perhaps  for  the  first  time  he  began  to  realize  how 
dearly  his  wife  must  love  him  to  give  up  the  pleasure 
and  luxury  of  her  girlhood  home  for  him,  and  there 
in  that  room  not  fit  for  cattle,  this  man  cried  out  in 
his  anguish,  "Oh,  God,  protect  my  wife  and  forgive 
me. 

He  started  at  once  for  home  but  as  he  neared 
the  house  his  heart  was  filled  with  fear,  his  head  be- 
gan to  whirl.  Where  was  Rose?  Why  was  every- 
thing so  still? 

He  opened  the  door  and  was  met  by  a  little  girl 
dressed  in  white  and  with  golden  curls. 

How  beautiful  she  was;  she  ran  to  him  and  cried, 
"Papa  has  come,  Papa  has  come!" 


128     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

Then  he  knew  she  was  his  own  Httle  daughter. 

She  led  him  to  the  bed  on  which  lay  his  wife,  but 
the  only  words  which  greeted  him  were,  "Ralph  come 
home  and  bring  us  something  to  eat." 

He  called  her  name  but  she  heard  him  not. 

Again  he  spoke:  "Dear  Rose,  forgive  me,  forgive 
me. 

Dr.  Gordon  laid  his  hand  on  the  shoulder  of  the 
stricken  man  and  said:  "Ask  your  God  to  forgive 
you,  your  wife  knows  not  what  you  say." 

He  looked  at  the  doctor  a  moment,  then  said  in 
a  low  voice,  "I  did  that  before  I  started  home.  God 
has  forgiven  me  and  saved  me.  But  tell  me  what 
I  can  do  for  my  poor  wife." 

It  was  indeed  true,  Ralph  Williams  was  a  changed 
man.  The  God  who  had  heard  the  prayers  of  the 
father  and  son  at  the  dying  woman's  bedside,  and 
restored  her  to  them,  vouchsafed  his  mercy  to  the 
starving  wife  who  prayed  for  her  drink-sodden  hus- 
band, and  in  answer  to  it  the  dulled  conscience  of 
the  husband  was  aroused. 

Slowly  Mrs.  Williams  improved,  until  one  morning 
she  said :  "Is  this  Heaven,  and  are  Ralph  and  my  chil- 
dren here?" 

"Yes,  Rose,"  her  husband  replied,  "Ralph  and  the 

children  are  here,  and  henceforth  I  will  do  all  I  can 

to  make  this  home  Heaven  on  earth." 

******* 

The  years  rolling  by  saw  John  still  fighting  the 
fight  for  his  Maker.  Out  of  the  gratitude  Ralph 
Williams  had  felt  for  the  Divine  mercy  shown  him. 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  129 

had  sprung  a  determination  to  do  all  in  his  power 
towards  uplifting  others.  John  eagerly  accepted  his 
services,  and  thus  the  nucleus  of  a  rapidly  growing 
power  for  good  was  formed. 

As  more  and  more  came  to  know  the  meaning  of 
"Christ  Crucified,"  they  entered  heart  and  soul  into 
the  work  of  spreading  the  truth  to  others  and  soon  a 
mightly  cohort  of  Christian  workers  spread  over  the 
city.  Individually  and  with  them  John  labored  night 
and  day  sustained  by  his  faith  and  enthusiasm. 

The  work  of  directing  the  efforts  of  so  many,  the 
nightly  vigil  at  the  bedside  of  sick  and  dying,  the 
continual  breathing  of  the  vitiated  air  of  the  lower 
quarters  of  the  city,  gradually  sapped  the  strength  of 
John,  who  did  not  know  the  meaning  of  fatigue  when 
a  call  on  the  service  of  his  Christ  sounded. 

At  last  an  attack  of  nervous  prostration  made  him 
realize  his  position,  and  yielding  to  the  importunities 
of  his  parents  and  fellow-workers,  he  consented  to 
take  a  vacation. 

Where  should  he  go  but  to  the  broad,  sunny  prairies 
of  Dakota,  to  his  dearly  remembered  friends,  the 
Longs  and  Lily. 

She  met  him  with  outstretched  arms  and  a  glad 
smile  of  welcome.  With  the  glory  of  dawning 
womanhood  about  her  she  was  more  than  ever  the 
"Queen  of  the  Prairie,"  but  by  the  soft  light  in  her 
eyes  John  saw  that  she  was  still  his  Lily. 

During  the  long  pleasant  vacation  which  followed, 
John  gained  strength  and  vigor  once  more,  and  its 
close  found  him  ably  equipped  to  take  up  Christ's 
work  once  more. 


130     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Long  were  doubly  sorrowful  at  their 
second  parting  from  him,  for  his  heart  had  found  its 
mate  and  Lily  was  accompanying  him. 

He  had  gained  a  lovely  bride,  and  more  than  that, 
an  enthusiastic  helpmate. 

Together  they  took  up  the  work  where  John  had 
left  it.  Ere  long  the  erstwhile  ''Queen  of  the  Prairie" 
was  known  as  "Angel  of  the  Poor,"  for  her  womanly 
sympathy  could  often  find  its  way  into  darkness  which 
even  John's  earnestness  failed  to  penetrate. 

One  Friday  night  they  both  came  to  take  part  in 
our  holiness  meeting,  and  the  Spirit  revealed  to  them 
that  should  they  submit  all  their  powers  unreservedly 
to  the  will  of  God,  He  could  use  them  to  still  higher 
and  more  effective  purposes  of  the  cause  of  Jesus. 
So,  John  and  Lily,  side  by  side,  came  out  at  the  altar 
and  offered  their  Hves  and  their  services  to  Jesus  for 
time  and  for  eternity,  they,  becoming  active  members 
in  my  corps,  and  a  great  blessing  to  the  suffering 
humanity  in  that  community. 

Case  2. — The  following  letter  was  received  from 
the  girl  already  mentioned,  as  the  daughter  of  a 
Roman  Catholic  woman,  who  tried  to  drive  her  con- 
verted daughter,  by  the  worldly  pleasures,  away  from 
Jesus : 

"Chicago,  111.,  Oct.  5,  1906. 
Captain  Golden, 

Salvation  Army. 
Dear  Friend: 

I  feel  that  I  must  let  you  know  what  the  Lord  has 
done  for  me,  'through  you.' 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER         131 

Why  I  ever  went  to  the  Salvation  Army  meeting 
is  more  than  I  know,  because  I  have  always  been 
told  that  the  Salvation  Army  was  nothing  more  than 
street  beggars  and  a  great  deal  more. 

So  I  never  went  to  their  meetings  until  I  went 
to  No.  4,  and  I  do  sincerely  thank  God  that  I  went, 
because  now  I  can  see  how  far  from  the  Lord  I  was 
wandering  and  so  unintentionally  because  I  never 
meant  to  be  a  sinner,  but  I  just  wanted  to  have  a 
good  time.  But  now,  I  can  see  where  some  of  those 
good  times  lead  us. 

Captain,  I  often  think  how  brave  you  must  have 
been  to  go  on  with  the  work  at  No.  4,  with  so  little 
help,  'that  is,  earthly  help.'  I  am  sorry  that  I  could 
not  help  you,  but  you  see  I  was  not  brave  like  you. 
I  could  not  talk  about  Jesus  to  those  who  scoffed, 
but  I  do  want  Jesus  to  help  me  and  strengthen  me 
to  do  His  will.  Captain,  do  you  know  there  is  a  song 
that  always  come  to  me  when  I  am  in  any  difficulty, 
'Lead  Me  Saviour.' 

Yours   sincerely, 

FLOY  MAYHEN, 
2207,  63d  St.,  Chicago." 

It  is  simply  wonderful,  that  there  is  no  one  to 
lead  us  like  the  Saviour,  dear  Jesus.  Who  died  on 
Calvary's  Cross  for  our  redemption.  And  now,  dear 
reader,  just  a  word  to  you.  This  volume  is  written 
for  you;  if  you  are  a  converted  Christian  enjoying 
the  blessings  of  a  clean  heart,  indeed,  blessed  you 
are,  for  "Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall 


132     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

see  God."  But,  if  for  some  reason,  if  there  can  be  a 
reason  for  not  being  saved,  you  kept  back  until  this 
hour,  I  pray  that  you  may  go  down  upon  your  knees, 
at  this  very  moment,  just  as  you  are,  and  open  your 
heart  to  God,  and  let  Jesus  come  in:  and  I  know 
and  you  will  know  that  the  remaining  days  of  your 
life  will  be  sweet  and  happy;  and  when  the  roll  is 
called  up  yonder  you'll  be  there,  in  a  robe  of  white 
with  the  angels  in  the  air  to  meet  the  Lamb  of  God, 
Who  will  say  unto  all  that  loved  Him  and  worked 
for  Him,  ''Well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant : 
enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  Thy  Lord." 


( iKKi-.K   1'i:asani  W'uman 


CHAPTER  X 

Greek' Ainerican-  Christian- 
Associatiofi 

IT  is  said,  by  Him  who  never  told  a  lie,  that  every 
tree  is  known  by  its  own  fruit,  and  the  confirma- 
tion of  the  statement  is  conclusive  to  the  student  of 
natural  and  human  history. 

It  was  an  idea  of  King  Maximilian  of  Bavaria,  to 
transmit  to  history  a  reminder  of  his  reign.  He 
instructed  the  architects  of  Germany  to  design  a 
new  style  to  be  named  after  him.  Such  a  style  of 
Maximilianesque  was  created.  An  architect — it  was 
Semper,  if  I  am  not  mistaken — when  asked  to  take 
a  part  in  this  creation  of  the  so-called  Maximilian 
style,  answered  that  such  a  thing  could  not  be  made 
to  order,  that  a  style  of  building  is  the  consequence 
of  the  history,  the  culture,  life,  and  doings  of  a  great 
period  of  people,  li  such  be  the  case  with  a  style  of 
architecture,  how  much  more  must  it  be  the  case  in 
regard  to  religion? 

The  history  of  this  style  of  MaximiHan's  is,  that 
it  has  no  history,  and  consequently  all  efforts  of  pur- 
suing eminent  architects  to  adopt  the  Maximilian 
style  failed.  This  short  history  is  that  of  the  at- 
tempts to  create  a  very  much  needed  world  religion. 


134     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

It  is  not  the  dogma  nor  the  doctrines  or  the  profes- 
sion that  will  make  it  possible  for  all  right  thinking 
minds  to  unite  efforts  in  building  a  universal  reli- 
gion, sufficient  to  satisfy  the  intellectual  want  of 
every  people  and  of  every  time.  Attempts,  all- 
powerful,  such  as  Papism  and  Mohammedanism, 
failed  in  their  egotistic  purposes  to  enforce  upon  the 
world  an  exotic  structure.  Neither  the  fires  of  Tor- 
quemadas,  nor  the  sword  of  Islam  could  deter  the 
bravery  of  civilization.  The  blood  that  was  spilled 
by  the  millions  of  martyrs  of  the  lowly  Nazarene 
served  to  make  the  history  of  the  man  who  died  upon 
the  Cross,  more  effective  and  heartfelt  world-need 
for  the  only  aristurgimatical  shrine  in  which  all 
human  families  may  live  in  peace  and  prosperity. 

At  a  time  when  the  world  was  imperilled  by  the 
treatment  accorded  to  Galileo  for  believing  in  the 
motion  of  the  earth;  and  though  69  years  of  age  he 
was  cast,  by  the  tools  of  Vatican,  into  a  dungeon, 
where  he  lost  his  sight  and  ultimately  his  life;  and 
Copernicus  was  facing  the  same  fate,  for  accomplish- 
ing a  noble  astronomical  discovery;  and  Martin 
Luther  was  persecute  by  the  Roman  Catholic 
church,  for  trying  to  bring  the  people  nearer  to  God. 
The  Greeks,  a  brave  people,  who,  in  the  face  of 
starvation,  for  lack  of  food,  and  horrified  by  the 
sword  of  the  conqueror,  dishonored  in  their  holiest 
sacreds,  pure  maidens  slain  after  being  used  in  the 
most  beastly  way,  mothers  put  to  death  after  their 
children  were  torn  off  into  shreds  of  flesh  under  the 
sword  of  the  barbarous  Turk,  young  people  and  old 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  135 

aged  having  no  rescuing  place  to  escape  from  horror 
and  death;  when  all  crowned  heads  of  Europe  should 
bow  on  their  knees  and  kiss  the  slipper  of  the  holy 
father  before  they  could  attain  their  rights  to  the 
throne  of  their  own  kingdoms;  when  all  the  known 
world  was  trembling  equally  in  the  name  of  Moham- 
med and  Pope,  these  people  (the  Greeks)  stood  up, 
and  with  all  the  strength  that  was  left  in  their  lungs, 
they  cried  out,  '*we  prefer  political  slavery  rather  than 
to  be  the  slaves  of  the  Pope,"  and  for  more  than 
three  centuries  the  Greeks  suffered  such  a  martyrdom 
which  if  only  printed  it  would  be  more  than  a  human 
heart  could  bear. 

The  history  of  Greece  shall  remain  until  the  end 
of  time,  and  as  the  peoples  of  the  world  grow  in- 
telligently and  intellectually  more  enlightened  they 
will  come  to  the  appreciation  of  the  fact  that  the 
Greek  people  has  contributed  more  material  in  paving 
the  way  to  the  spiritual  freedom  and  the  individual 
liberty  of  the  world  than  any  other  nation  on  the 
face  of  the  earth,  and  that  the  Greek  spirit  is  still 
living  and  ruling  in  principle  in  the  very  heart  of  the 
civiHzed  world. 

It  is  essential  that  every  nation  in  making  up  the 
list  of  its  benefactors  should  give  the  first  place  to 
the  most  distinguished  one.  In  accordance  to  the 
general  law  the  Greek  nation  of  today  not  only 
owes  its  literary  language,  in  part  at  least,  to  the 
exertions  of  the  great  patriot  Korais,  but  to  him  is 
accredited  the  prophecy,  that,  ''the  Greek  nation 
shall  never  be  great  again,  unless  regenerated  in 
Christ." 


136     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

Adamantios    Korais   was  born  April   27,    1747,   in 
Smyrna.      From   early  youth   he   devoted   himself   to 
the  study  of  old  and  new  languages.     In  obedience 
to  his  father's  wishes,  he  followed  a  mercantile  ca- 
reer during  the  year  1772-78,  without,  however,  neg- 
lecting the  sciences.     From  1782-88  he  studied  medi- 
cine   in    Montpellier    and    established    himself    as    a 
practising  physician  in  Paris.     From  there  he  worked 
incessantly  for  the  education  of  his  compatriots,  and 
endeavored   to   awaken    a    favorable   opinion    of    his 
nation  in  the  Occidental  countries.     In   1800  he  re- 
ceived the  prize  of  the  Academy  for  an  edition  of  the 
writings    of    Hippocrates,    but    before    this    time    he 
had  attracted  the  attention  of  the  world  of  learning 
by    his    ability,    and    Napoleon    the    Great    conferred 
upon    him    many    honors    and    titles    and    appointed 
him  the  medical  adviser  of  the  Court.     Later  on  he 
gained   fame  by  his   Greek  translation  of   Beccaria's 
work   on   crimes    and  their   punishments.     This   was 
followed  by  a  work  entitled  "De  I'etat  actuel  de  la 
civilization  en  Greece"   (Paris,  1803).     This  was  the 
first    publication    in    Europe    which    gave    true    in- 
formation  on   the   intellectual    and   moral   conditions 
of  the  new  Greeks.     During  the  period  from  1805-27 
he    published    a   collection — twenty    volumes — of    old 
Greek  classics,  with  critical   explanations  and  prole- 
gomena.    In  the  latter  he   gave  his   patriotic  teach- 
ings  and   advices.      His   greatest   merit   consisted    in 
his    promoting    the    Greek    morals    and    the    Greek 
language;    he    eliminated    as    much    as    possible    all 
foreign    elements,    but    retained    all    that    was    good 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER         137 

and  useful  from  all  centuries,  rejecting  the  one- 
sided retention  of  the  old  words  and  forms  as  not 
compatible  with  the  understanding  of  the  people. 
He  above  all,  helped  to  establish  a  noble  literary 
language.  On  account  of  his  old  age  he  could  take 
no  part  in  the  rising  of  his  fatherland  in  1821,  but 
aided  it  greatly  by  his  patriotic  pen.  When  Greece 
had  gained  her  independence  he  took  an  active  in- 
terest in  the  new  formation  of  his  country.  In  1830- 
31  he  attacked  the  government  of  Kapodistria  in  two 
publications.  He  died  in  1833.  His  autobiography 
appeared  in  Paris  in  the  same  year.  The  name  of 
Adamantios  Korais  will  never  die  from  the  memory 
of  every  patriot  Greek,  and  yet  his  sincere  opinion 
that  *'the  Greek  nation  shall  never  be  great  again, 
unless  regenerated  in  Christ,"  had  little  effect  upon 
the  hearts  of  the  people,  or  rather  upon  the  hearts  of 
the  leaders  of  the  people. 

Great  nations  have  failed,  and  in  every  case  it  was 
the  government's  corruption  and  neglect  of  duty 
that  caused  the  sufferings  and  failures,  of  which 
the  political  history  is  too  abounding  and  too  ac- 
cessible to  be  quoted.  We  only  mention  the  Greek 
nation,  perhaps  the  greatest  and  most  illustrious  of 
all  nations  that  ever  failed  in  their  political  career, 
because  we  are  well  informed  and  personally  ac- 
quainted with  the  details  that  brought  this  formerly 
world-wide  respected  and  valued  gem  of  civilization 
into  insignificance  in  the  eye  of  the  scornful,  and  a 
plaything  in  the  hands  of  the  so-called  great  powers 
of  Europe. 


138     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

In  the  year  of  1902,  while  I  was  a  High  Priest, 
Archimandrites,  grand  representative  of  the  Saint 
Mary's  Monastery,  Salamis;  Orator  and  Grand 
Chaplain  of  the  Supreme  Council  of  Greece;  and 
confessor  in  the  most  exclusive  societies  of  Athens, 
hearing  confessions  and  granting  absolutions;  the 
following  incident,  which  is  published  for  the  first 
time,  and  only  in  parts  that  are  printable,  brought 
me  to  a  final  decision,  that  I  should  leave  my  home, 
my  loved  ones,  and  all  the  flourishing  prospects 
to  be  a  Bishop,  with  all  the  comforts  and  luxuries 
attached  to  a  Bishopric,  just  because  I  had  witnessed 
a  few  scenes  of  the  manifold  political  plots  that 
caused  the  downfall  of  my  own  nation,  and  my  own 
people  scattered  to  the  four  comers  of  the  world, 
wandering,  struggling  for  their  existence,  while 
Greece,  the  land  of  the  Gods,  and  the  home  of  art 
and  beauty,  was  left  in  the  hands  of  a  few  parasites, 
strangers  and  unsympathetic  feudals  who  have 
shown  no  mercy  in  straining  every  material  and 
spiritual  bit  from  the  people  that  still  honors  them 
as  their  kings  and  sovereigns. 

At  the  time  spoken  of,  there  was  an  open  secret 
to  every  well  informed  Greek  that  the  Queen  of 
Greece,  Olga,  had  been  the  tool  of  the  Russian 
bureaucracy,  trying  by  means  of  religious  influences 
to  keep  the  Greeks  under  the  Russian  political  con- 
trol; that  the  Queen  Olga  paid  the  expenses  for  the 
education  of  a  monk,  who,  on  his  return  from  Rus- 
sia, where  he  was  graduated  from  the  theological 
academies  of  Kiev  and  Moskow,  became  the  Queen's 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER         139 

personal  confessor,  and  afterwards  by  the  Queen's 
very  earnest  and  almost  scandalous  activities  that 
monk  was  raised  to  the  Metropolitan  Throne  of 
Athens,  which  position  placed  him  at  the  head  of 
the  Greek  Church,  and  made  him  the  President  of  the 
Holy  Synod  of  Greece. 

The  Metropolitan  Throne  of  Athens  is  the  highest 
and  most  exalted  position  that  a  mortal  Greek  could 
approach,  and  it  is,  in  fact,  the  next  to  the  King's 
Throne,  most  influential  occupation,  and  more 
powerful,  even  than  the  Royal  Throne,  because,  the 
Metropolite  of  Athens  is  the  spiritual  leader  of  all 
Greeks. 

There  was  plenty  of  rejoicing  in  the  Queen's 
camarilla,  at  the  installation  of  Procopios  (that  was 
the  name  of  the  monk)  as  the  Metropolite  of  Athens, 
and  every  effort.  Queen  Olga  leading  the  fight,  had 
gone  forth  to  assure  a  complete  victory  for  the  Rus- 
sian bureaucracy,  over  the  few  remaining  unspoiled 
patriotic  Greeks. 

All  the  characteristics  of  a  civil  war  were  enacted 
in  the  streets  of  Athens  when  Queen  Olga  attempted 
to  enforce  upon  the  Greek  people  a  new  inferior 
language  in  their  Bibles,  and  in  their  holy  mass — a 
language,  which  the  Greek  people  considered  as  a 
means  to  confound  their  historical  and  rehgious 
customs  and  habits  and  subdue  them  into  a  Russian 
spiritual  dependency.  Against  the  attempt  there  was 
the  very  best  element  of  the  Greek  scholars.  Adam- 
antios  Korais  fought  the  fight,  100  years  before  this 
attempt  was  made,  and  he  distinctly  and  clearly  made 


I40     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

it  understood  that  the  Attic  Greek  language  has  been, 
it  is  and  must  be  the  safeguard  of  all  that  is  beautiful 
in  the  Greek  history. 

Faithful  to  their  traditions  the  Greeks  of  the  pres- 
ent generation  fought  and  won  a  triumphant  vic- 
tory. The  innocent  blood  of  the  people  that  was 
slain  on  the  streets  of  Athens  by  orders  from  the 
Royal  Palace,  have  wrote  with  indelible  letters,  the 
anathema,  which,  frenzied  mothers  in  the  sight  of 
their  assassinated  sons,  and  overwhelmed  in  grief, 
cried  against  Queen  Olga,  and  her  crown  all  but  torn 
to  pieces  by  the  wronged  multitudes. 

Within  24  hours  from  that  terrible  bloody  day, 
that  will  remain  an  indelible  stigma  in  the  history  of 
Queen  Olga's  life,  the  most  exalted  Metropolite  Pro- 
copios  was  a  fallen  ragmuffin  and  the  most  hated  per- 
son in  all  Greece.  And  when  every  one  of  his  col- 
leagues deserted  him  and  the  King  and  Queen  shut 
their  door  in  his  face,  leaving  him  a  pitiful  victim  of 
the  political  plots  to  save  the  royal  skin,  and  while 
there  was  no  visible  friend  to  give  him  a  helping 
hand  when  fallen  from  the  Metropolitan  Throne,  and 
while  this  monk-metropolite  Procopios,  in  all  his  glo- 
rious days  had  been  a  profound  enemy  against  every 
honest  effort,  especially  against  young  priests  who 
refused  to  serve  his  unlawful  appetites,  and  my  own 
experience  with  this  monk-metropolite  Procopios  is 
not  of  the  kind  to  be  printed,  yet,  it  was  I  who  put 
my  own  life  in  a  probable  danger  to  save  him  from 
the  mob,  that  was  ready  to  attack  him,  and  probably 
kill   him,   the   day   after   I   made   his   escape  possible 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  141 

into  the  Saint  Mary's  Monastery,  Salamis,  where  at 
the  time  I  was  Archimandrites. 

Procopios,  in  the  opinion  of  his  own  friends,  was 
the  last  man  in  the  Greek  priesthood,  quahfied  to 
occupy  the  Metropolitan  Throne  of  Athens,  and 
totally  lost  his  will  power  when  he  became  Metro- 
polite  by  Royal  favor.  There  was  an  organized  clique 
around  the  Metropolitan  mansion,  but  the  controlling 
power  should  be  located  within  the  walls  of  the  Royal 
Palace.  Procopios  was  only  an  instrument  transmit- 
ting orders.  And  if  I  was  allowed  to  publish  all  that 
Procopios  himself  told  me,  in  Salamis,  it  would  make 
the  Greek  people  sit  up  and  take  notice,  but  in  my 
vows  as  confessor  I  have  to  carry  the  confession  of 
the  fallen  Metropolite  Procopios  with  me  to  my  grave, 
unless  the  need  arises  to  serve  the  best  interests  of 
my  beloved  country.  It  was  his  last  confession  upon 
the  earth.  He  died  and  went  there,  where,  at  the 
great  Judgment  Day,  he,  surely  will  give  account  for 
all  his  deeds  done  in  the  body. 

For  the  first  time  in  the  ecclesiastical  history  of 
the  Greek  Kingdom,  a  Metropolite  abdicated  from 
his  throne,  rejected  by  his  closest  friends,  helpless 
under  the  anathema  of  the  people,  above  whom  he 
was  called  to  be  the  spiritual  leader,  his  life  imperilled 
by  the  injured  public  sentiment,  Procopios,  left  a  real 
wreck  cast  by  the  shore,  as  a  warning  sign  of  those 
dangers  to  which  every  public  man  is  exposed,  when 
corrupted  by  higher  favours  and  neglects  his  duties 
to  the  people  who  entrusted  him  with  responsibilities 
of  national  importance. 


142     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

This  incident,  which  I  hope  will  never  occur  again, 
and    many    other    minor    opportunities,    in    which    I 
had  a  part  to  play,  during  that  fateful  Queen  Olga's 
attempt  to  adulterate  the  beautiful   and  pure  Attic 
Greek  language,   gave   me   the   exceptional   privilege 
to  study  all  the  works  of  the  political  machinery  in 
Greece.     I  have  seen  the  drama  enacted  behind  the 
scenes.     It  is  a  dreadful  drama  that  could  break  the 
neck    of    the    strongest    long-suffering.      The    awful 
drama  that  is  enacted  in  Greece  at  the  expenses  of 
the  people   is   a  long,  very   long   story;   perhaps   it 
has  its  beginning  with  the  reign  of  King  George  and 
Queen  Olga,  I  will  not  say,  but  the  people  of  Greece, 
the  poorest  people  of  Europe,  are  contented  and  well 
pleased  that  they  have  a  King  who  is  a  great  diplo- 
mat, and  he  is  one  of  the  richest  Kings  in  Europe, 
and  their   Queen,   Olga,  they  believe    (the   ignorant 
do)  that  she  is  a  saintly  woman  (as  all  the  Russian 
saints    are),    and   this    ignorant    Greek   people,    they 
simply  feel  glad  to  leave  their  homes  and  their  chil- 
dren and  go  into  war,  like  sheep  into  the  butcher's 
shop,    sacrifice    their    lives,    thus    destroying    their 
homes  and  the  hopes  of  their  loved  ones,  every  time 
King  George  calls  them  to  arms  to  fight  against  the 
Turks.     And  King  George  has  always  a  great  patri- 
otic cause  to  fight  the  Turks.    And  the  Greeks  could 
not  appreciate  more  highly  a  privilege  than  to  fight 
and  die  for  the  deliverance  of  their  brethren  in  Crete 
and  for  the  salvation  of  the  unfortunate  Christians  in 
Macedonia. 

Yet,  for  half  a  century,  in  fact,  since  King  George 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  143 

came  to  Greece,  there  are  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
the  best  Greek  patriots  that  have  been  killed,  slain,  or 
assassinated,  and  nearly  a  billion  drachmas  national 
debt,  hanging  upon  the  neck  of  every  Greek,  like  the 
Damoclean  sword,  but  there  is  no  deliverance  for  the 
Cretans,  and  there  is  no  salvation  for  the  Mace- 
donians, instead  there  are  the  traps  strategically 
placed  across  the  Greek  borders,  so,  every  time  the 
Greek  patriots,  in  answer  to  the  call  of  their  King, 
are  sent  to  render  a  helping  hand  to  the  sufferers, 
they  cross  the  border,  only  to  find,  but  too  late,  that 
they  have  been  trapped,  under  the  sword  of  the 
enemy,  the  Turk;  or  they  are  left  at  the  mercy  of 
their  assassins,  the  Bulgars.  This  drama  is  going 
on  repeatedly  with  great  success,  and  to  the  amuse- 
ment of  the  observing  great  powers  of  Europe. 

Occasionally  there  is  some  crippling  of  the  territory 
already  belonging  to  the  possessions  of  Greece,  be- 
cause the  places  are  of  some  strategical  importance, 
and  this  reason  is  enough,  that  they  should  be  taken 
away  from  the  Greeks.  And  there  is  a  financial 
commission  appointed  by  the  great  powers,  because 
King  George  is  a  great  diplomat  and  he  wants  to  be 
sure  that  his  allowance  is  coming  to  him  increasingly, 
every  year,  from  the  coffers  of  the  Greek  treasury, 
while  the  international  commission  should  count  every 
penny  that  the  Greek  expends  in  bread  for  his 
children. 

In  the  evolution  of  events,  I  believe,  that  there 
is  a  time  coming,  when  the  Greek  people  shall  rise, 
from   the    lethargy,    in    which    they    unnaturally    are 


144     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

slumbering,  for  a  long  time,  and  they  shall  awake 
and  break  every  fetter,  and  shake  off  their  feet  every 
chain,  and  their  eyes  shall  be  opened  and  they  shall 
see  things  that  will  horrify  them  as  a  nation;  then 
shall  they  know  the  persons  responsible  for  their  suf- 
ferings and  for  the  sufferings  of  the  Cretans  and 
Macedonians  and  why  Carditses  was  beheaded  in  a 
dungeon,  without  giving  him  the  privilege  of  free 
citizenship,  to  prove  his  reason  or  his  sanity,  without 
any  chance  to  protect  his  life;  and  where  and  by 
whom  that  plot  was  framed  up,  just  to  turn  the  tide 
of  public  anger  against  a  royal  gang,  thus  causing  the 
destruction  of  two  beautiful  Greek  girls,  that  left 
alone  in  the  world  to  suffer  from  consumption,  in 
agony,  to  die  with  the  stigma  as  sisters  of  a  would- 
be  royal  assassin.  It  was  my  privilege  to  take 
care  of  these  two  unfortunate  sisters,  both  suffering, 
and  the  story  of  these  two  girls  and  the  uprising  of 
the  Greek  people  against  the  adulteration  of  their 
language  by  Queen  Olga,  settled  my  determination 
to  fight  for  the  rights  of  my  own  people  and  my  be- 
loved country.  But,  the  time  for  the  Greek  people 
to  stand  up  and  walk  on  their  own  feet,  shall  come 
when  the  prophecy  of  the  great  patriot  Adamantios 
Korais,  is  no  more  prophecy,  but  in  reality  the  Greek 
people  will  be  regenerated  in  Christ,  and  there  and 
then  shall  be  a  great  Greek  nation,  not  only  within 
the  boundaries  of  the  feudatory  of  King  George,  but 
within  the  bounds  of  love  that  unites  all  the  millions 
of  people  that  speak  the  historical  Attic  Greek  lan- 
guage,  and   a   great   Greek   nation   shall   attract   the 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER         145 

attention  of  all  the  civilized  world,  once  more  as  in 
the  days  of  old. 

I  know  the  dangers  in  which  I  am  exposed  for 
the  step  I  have  taken,  because,  I  know  the  character 
and  the  principles  of  the  Greek  people,  perhaps,  as 
well  as  any  living  Greek,  the  demagogues,  the 
priests,  the  church,  and  the  drones  and  parasites  of 
the  royal  gang,  they  each  and  every  one  and  all  to- 
gether are  going  to  use  all  their  power  and  money 
that  is  at  their  disposal,  and  with  no  regards  as  to 
the  honesty  of  means  they  shall  move  earth  and  hell 
to  quench  this  movement  for  the  regeneration  of 
the  Greek  people,  but  having  all  my  trust  upon  the 
Almighty  and  Omnipotent  God,  in  the  name  of  His 
Son  Jesus  Christ,  Who  died  that  all  men  may  be 
happy,  and  in  the  right  Spirit  of  love  to  God  and  to 
my  fellow  men,  I  dare  launch  the  Greek-Amerikan- 
Christian-Association. 

Every  Greek  of  reputable  character,  and  all  the 
lovers  of  the  Greek  ancient  and  modern  history,  are 
eligible  to  membership.  It  is  my  purpose  to  en- 
deavor by  all  the  Christian  means  to  bring  the  Greek 
and  American  people  into  a  mutual,  intellectual  and 
intelligent  understanding.  It  has  been  my  experi- 
ence in  studying  conditions  for  the  last  six  years, 
that  the  Greeks  in  the  United  States  know  very  little 
or  nothing  of  the  American  history,  government, 
political,  social,  customs  and  habits  of  the  American 
people,  which,  also,  unfortunate  as  it  may  appear, 
yet  it  is  the  truth,  that  only  a  very  limited  number 
of  Americans  whom  I  have  found  all  over  the  United 


146     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

States,  are  well  informed  of  the  doings  in  Greece, 
and  still  fewer  well  acquainted  and  unprejudiced  as 
to  the  historical  and  classical  importance  of  the 
Greek  nation. 

It  is  estimated  that  there  are  about  300,000  Greek 
people  in  the  United  States,  representing  the  12,000,- 
000  of  Greek-speaking  people  that  is  the  Greek 
nation  extended  all  around  the  Mediterranean  coun- 
tries. 

When  it  is  considered  that  the  vast  majority  of 
the  Greeks  in  the  United  States,  has  never  had  any 
opportunity  to  attend  a  Christian  meeting,  or  hear 
the  Gospel  preached  in  their  own  language,  it  is  to 
their  credit  that,  with  all  the  temptations  and  the 
ambiguous  associations  which  the  laboring  class  is 
often  in  contact  with  they  have  not  been  worse  than 
they  are;  it  is  an  indication  that  the  primitive  and 
strong  character  of  the  Greek  seldom  yields  to  temp- 
tation; they  hold  fast  to  their  historical  energy  and 
honesty. 

There  has  never  been  an  attempt  of  any  impor- 
tance, neither  has  there  ever  been  any  organized  ef- 
fort, for  the  regeneration  of  the  Greek  people,  and 
while  the  Home  and  Foreign  Missions  of  America 
for  the  last  25  years  have  given  the  best  of  their 
spiritual  leaders  for  the  conversion  of  the  Zulu  and 
the  Mogul  and  millions  of  American  dollars  have 
been  expended,  with  insignificant  returns,  in  trying 
vainly  to  make  real  Christians  out  of  a  barbarous 
and  semi-human  race  of  people,  and  trying  to  civil- 
ize the  jungles-  of  Africa,  the  most  urgent  duty  has 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER  147 

been  neglected,  and  some  spasmodical  efforts  that 
have  been  put  forth  by  the  zeal  of  earnest  individuals, 
were  soon  exhausted,  and  failed,  not  only  for  lack 
of  financial  support,  but,  the  worst,  by  spiritual  dis- 
couragements, and  today  a  noble  and  the  most  his- 
torical race  of  peoples,  the  Greeks,  are  drifting  in 
despair,  away  from  God,  politically  perishing,  blind, 
and  ignorant  priests,  and  political  demagogues  lead- 
ing them  fast  into  the  ditch. 

The  harvest  truly  is  plenteous,  but  the  laborers 
are  few;  who  will  help  us  to  garner  in?  HELP!  is 
the  cry,  the  most  earnest  cry,  that  was  ever  uttered 
from  the  lips  and  from  the  heart  of  a  sincere  Chris- 
tian worker. 

In  organizing  the  Greek-Amerikan-Christian-As- 
sociation,  all  the  latest  and  most  effective,  spiritual 
and  industrial  methods  will  be  employed. 

It  is  hoped  that  the  organization  will  be  incor- 
porated under  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  as  soon 
as  there  are  members  sufficient  in  number  to  assem- 
ble in  their  first  meeting  and  vote  the  Constitution  and 
the  By-Laws  of  the  Association. 

Much  consideration  will  be  given  to  the  methods 
of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and  Y.  W.  C.  A.  This  two-fold 
Institution,  which  in  the  opinion  of  Christian  leaders, 
and  the  most  distinguished  sociologists,  of  the  pres- 
ent time,  is  the  very  best  agency  to  approach  all  na- 
tions, and  spread  civilization,  well  established  upon 
the  fundamental  principles  of  Christianity. 

For  the  last  few  months  in  my  struggle  trying 
to    establish    the    Greek-Amerikan-Christian-Associa- 


148     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

tion  and  at  the  same  time  keep  my  soul  and  body 
together  providing  a  lean  livelihood  by  selling  this 
book,  I  can  truthfully  say  that  I  had  more  experi- 
ences than  in  all  my  life  before.  One  clergyman  of 
the  high  Episcopal  church  in  the  most  fashionable 
Back  Bay,  Boston,  offered  to  grant  me  the  use  of 
his  church  any  time  I  v^anted  to  offer  the  mass  as 
high  priest  according  to  the  ritual  of  the  Greek 
Orthodox  Church,  if  I  w^ould  only  ''break  off  all  re- 
lations with  Protestant  bodies  here  in  America." 
I  have  a  letter  from  this  clergyman  w^hich  is  the 
most  astounding  fact  of  his  inconsistency,  because 
he  himself  is  an  active  member  of  the  Bible  (Tlub,  a 
purely  Protestant  organization:  he  invited  me  to  one 
of  their  meetings,  but  he  would  not  purchase  my 
book  to  help  me  to  my  bread  and  butter.  Another 
clergyman,  a  member  of  the  executive  committee  of 
City  Missions,  Boston,  would  not  purchase  my  book, 
unless  I  offered  myself  to  be  employed  by  them  at 
a  certain  salary,  and  he  gave  me  his  card  introducing 
me  to  chairman  of  that  organization : 

Last  winter  I  began  to  preach  to  the  Greeks  at 
Kneeland  street,  Boston,  in  the  open  air,  and  when  I 
went  to  see  the  police  captain  of  that  district  he 
promised  to  co-operate  with  me  and  gave  me  his 
consent  to  go  on  with  my  work,  but  the  following 
Sunday  his  Lieutenant  came  up  to  me,  while  I  was 
preaching  on  the  street,  he  stopped  me,  on  the 
pretense,  that  he  was  informed  of  a  plot  among  the 
Greeks  to  take  my  life.  And  when  I  made  my 
complaints  to  the   General   Secretary   of   New   Eng- 


INTO  A  CHRISTIAN  WORKER         149 

land  Missions,  he  told  me  that  I  should  have  known 
that  Boston  is  a  Catholic  town,  and  that  the  police 
being  informed  that  I  was  an  ex-priest,  they  simply 
would  not  tolerate  me.  Horror  stricken  by  this 
statement  I  went  to  see  the  captain  myself,  and  the 
very  same  man  who  promised  co-operation,  only  a 
few  days  hence,  he  stood  up  in  front  of  my  face  and 
in  a  savage  manner  told  me  that  he  would  not  tol- 
erate me  to  preach  on  the  streets  of  Boston. 

The  names  of  all  concerned  are  in  my  possession 
and  open  to  investigation  by  the  general  public.  But 
I  will  omit  them  here  for  reasons  well  understood. 

A  number  of  other  discouraging  instances,  only 
worked  together  to  deeper  impress  upon  my  heart 
the  importance  and  the  excellency  of  my  high 
calling.  Sooner  or  later,  in  the  inevitable  law  of 
evolution  and  universal  progress,  the  Greek  nation 
must  be  regenerated  in  spirit  and  in  truth:  and  I 
believe  that  it  is  not  only  a  case  of  courtesy,  but, 
there  is  a  sense  of  duty  for  every  true  American  man 
and  woman  to  co-operate  in  the  uplifting  of  all  man- 
kind. As  for  me  I  fully  appreciate  the  privilege  to 
suffer  for  the  benefit  of  my  fellow  men,  and  I  can 
hopefully  repeat  Tennyson's  immortal  words: 

Once  in  a  golden  hour 

I  cast  to  earth  a  seed. 
Up  then  came  a  flower. 

The  people  said,  a  weed. 

To  and  fro  they  went 
Thro'  my  garden  bower, 


150     CONVERSION  OF  A  HIGH  PRIEST 

And  muttering  discontent 
Cursed  me  and  my  flower. 


Then  it  grew  so  tall, 

It  wore  a  crown  of  light, 

But  thieves  from  o'er  the  wall 
Stole  the  seed  by  night. 

Sow'd  it  far  and  wide. 

By  every  town  and  tower, 

Till  all  the  people  cried, 
"Splendid  is  the  flower:" 

Read  my  little  fable. 
He  that  runs  may  read : 

Most  can  raise  the  flower  now, 
For  all  have  got  the  seed. 


Conclusion 

Allow  me,  dear  reader,  to  say  in  closing,  that  it 
is  my  sincere  opinion  that  in  view  of  the  reasonings 
and  facts  presented  in  the  preceding  pages,  every  in- 
dividual who  reads  this  Book  intelligently,  and  who 
is  in  possession  of  a  sound  and  unprejudiced  reason, 
will  come  to  the  conclusion  that  there  is  only  one 
religion  worth  having,  and  that  is  the  religion  by 
Jesus,  of  Jesus,  for  Jesus,  which  is  the  revelation  of 
the  Bible,  Divinely  adapted  to  produce  the  greatest 
present  and  eternal  spiritual  good  to  the  human 
family.  And  if  anyone  should  doubt  His  power 
(which,  in  view  of  its  adaptations  and  its  effects  as 
herein  developed,  would  involve  the  absurdity  of 
doubting  whether  an  intelligent  design  had  an  intel- 
ligent designer),  still,  be  the  origin  of  the  Gospel  of 
Jesus  where  it  may,  in  heaven,  earth,  or  hell,  the 
demonstration  is  conclusive  that  it  is  the  only  re- 
ligion possible  for  man,  in  order  to  perfect  his  nature, 
and  restore  his  lapsed  powers  to  harmony  and  holi- 
ness, which  is  the  only  avenue  to  usefulness  and 
happiness. 

THE    END 


